AT a time of crisis of credibility, a boxing idol becomes a people’s champion. Boxer Manny Pacquiao has captured the Filipino imagination in ways no contemporary movie star, political figure or fellow athlete has done. Every day his image crosses many times

over from legendary ring fighter to regular father in a McDo commercial to an approximation of his real self in a film biopic.

After his sensational win over Oscar Larios before his countrymen, expect Manny’s stock to skyrocket in almost every direction in his storied young life. His fight with Larios at the Araneta Coliseum already created a mini-industry of books, accessories, websites and tons of write-ups about him. The Destroyer from Gen San just might find himself a real force to reckon with in his own country.

Manny is massively popular among the underprivileged. His fight with Larios came on a Sunday and the usual Sunday crowd at the malls started tricking in only after 3 pm, an hour after the televised brawl. Till the early afternoon, jeepneys and public buses had few riders prompting a driver to say, “Parang Mahal na Araw, ah!” It might as well be Black Friday although there was resurrection waiting to happen around noon.

Manny’s ascent to the top of the boxing world has been described as “legendary.” To the young, he is Panday, Captain Barbell and FPJ rolled into a stocky medium build. Pacquiao’s rise to fame and fortune is the kind of rags-to-riches tale worth retelling.

FROM STREET VENDOR TO CHAMP

Like most Filipino fighters, he dreamt of becoming a boxer at a young age. The huge purse and the glamour of champions turned boxing into another way out of the poverty trap for otherwise regular homeboys like Manny Pacquiao.

He left his hometown in Bukidnon to pursue his dream in Manila. He worked as a construction worker and street vendor while sharpening his skills. His big break came in 2001 when, as a late replacement, he stopped defending champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF Super Bantamweight crown on the fifth round.

He defended the crown four more times before facing his boyhood idol, Mexico’s Antonio Barrera. He stopped Barrera with an 11th round TKO then went on to conquer another legendary Mexican, Juan Miguel Marquez. By this time, Mexican fighters were regarded as the toughest pound-for-pound fighters in Pacquiao’s weight class. Manny challenged the dreaded Mexican gridlock with incredible wins and a controversial draw in his wake. His recent defeat of Larios is one more testament to his mastery of the Mexicans.

SIYEMPRE, MAY CONTROVERSY

Great boxers are hounded by controversy. Pacquaio has had his share. He parted ways with big-time promoter Murad Muhammed on the heels of accusations that Manny was being cheated from his prize winnings. Before his bout with Larios, his trainer Freddie Roach admitted that Manny was training only for six weeks while his opponent was on an eight-week workout. It generated wild talks that his appearance on commercial ads and a movie (that bombed at the tills) was taking precious time out of his preparation for the fight.

The other chismis that Manny was drinking hard, partying even harder and hooked on cockfighting scaled down his myth of invincibility among serious boxing buffs. One sports columnist even hinted that his lack of training may open up weaknesses that the underrated Larios would be looking to exploit. By now, all those rumors of destructive distractions have been KO’d by one giant “kill” at the Big Dome in Cubao.

Manny Pacquiao once said he became a boxer to earn the kind of money to support a family and help his parents in their old age. It would also provide insurance for his future. Nobody stays young and productive forever, especially in a dangerous sports like boxing. The regular battering of the body and periodic smash to the head may one day take a grave heavy toll.

LIKE BEING HIT BY A BOWLING BALL

The American Medical Association has called for a ban on professional boxing for years. Recently, a clinical research study by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons likened the impact of a professional boxer’s fist to “being hit with a 13-pound bowling ball traveling 20 mph.” Periodic pounding can lead to cuts, bruises, broken bones and the brain being tossed inside the cranium like a ship in a sea storm. The study goes on to say that “90% of all boxers suffer from brain injury.”

Agility, stamina and charisma continue to carry Pacquiao at the top of his game. He has the fierce look of “hunger” for greater glories that has remained with him up to the present. It is the look that tells an adversary, “You don’t want to mess with me!”

These qualities have made him an icon mobbed even by non-boxing fans everywhere he goes. He is still visible to most at least once a day. During the last elections, politicians vied for his support; he endorsed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and she won.

For now, Manny Pacquiao, at the prime of his life, is the uncontested super featherweight champion of the world. Women want him; men want to be like him. It may not be soon but we may one day start saying, “Pacquiao’s my kind of guy!”