Why Filipinos love Manny Pacquiao

I am not a big boxing enthusiast, I've never boxed my whole life, but whenever Manny Pacquiao is in the ring, I make it a point to watch: I shout at every punch and cheer every time he lands one on the face of his opponent. I even cuss when he gets one himself. "Ow!" "Wooot!" "Shat!" "Iyown!"

And I'm not the only one. In fact, every Filipino is like that. It's widely known that every time Manny Pacquiao fights, crime rate is ZERO in the Philippines. Everyone is tuned in to support and pray for his victory. Manny's victory becomes our victory, as a nation, as Filipinos.

"...because he is a Filipino..."

Why? Simply because he is a Filipino, and that makes me damn proud. He is not just part Filipino, he is Pinoy through and through, and he declares his love and dedication to the Philippines at every fight. He does not claim his glory just for himself but for the Filipino people.

This Filipino International Boxing superstar and Best pound for pound fighter has now been declared the "King of Boxing", and yet he remains humble, he doesn't trash talk his opponents (he leaves that to his promoters), he has a goofy smile and demeanor that makes him endearing to fans, he sings... (which is a favorite Filipino past time), he still prefers typical Filipino food, and he comes off as just a regular guy who just happens to be really good at boxing.

The story of his triumph in the world of boxing is one to rival Slumdog Millionaire. He started out a poor 16 year old kid before moving on to defeat boxing superstars Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, and most recently, Oscar dela Hoya and of course, Briton Ricky Hatton. After all that, he has become a millionaire no doubt. Jai ho! And what does that mean for the thousands of Filipinos in poverty? It gives us hope. He is an awesome example of how you can achieve your dreams if you work hard for it.

We wait patiently for the next Pacquiao fight, then when the time comes when he needs our prayers and cheers, we'll be there. CONGRATULATIONS MANNY "PAC MAN" PACQUIAO!



Image from Bleacher Report