Pacquiao: A Security Guard’s Perspective
By Revolutionary Worker Scholar
(Note: I am co-editor of POOR Magazine (www.poormagazine.org), an indigenous led, poor people led organization based in San Francisco that produces revolutionary media. Our writers re-port and sup-port people struggling with poverty globally and locally—people whose voices are silenced by corporate media. My day job is security guard. The following is an interview I conducted with a fellow guard, a Filipino elder (Manong). We spoke at our post amidst stacks of Filipino newspapers adorned with pictures of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. My fellow security officer gives his impressions of Manny Pacquiao after his victory over Antonio Margarito).
Poor Magazine: What do you think of Manny Pacquiao?
Manong: What is there to think? He won…that is all.
Poor Magazine: Did you see the fight?
Manong: I want to but it is too expensive. It is…pay to do?
Poor Magazine: Pay per view
Manong: Yes…they were charging fifty-five dollars. TV is too confusing now. I do not have a digital TV, just my old one and I couldn’t figure out how to install that converter box so I just forget it.
Poor Magazine: That’s expensive
Manong: I could by a lot of chow mein with that
Poor Magazine: So, you don’t watch TV?
Manong: Not anymore. I just read thenewspapers.
Poor Magazine: I see you got all the Filipino newspapers. Looks like Manny Pacquaio is on the front page of all of them.
Manong: Yes…Pacquaio…he is the best.
Poor Magazine: Of all time?
Manong: I don’t know about all time. There were many great ones. I was in the Philippines in the time of Ali and Frazier. I was there.
Poor Magazine: The Thrilla in Manila?
Manong: Yes, I was there. I was an engineer back in the Philippines. I work on bridges. I was in the audience when Ali and Frazier fight. It was hot in the arena, like an oven. They fight hard. In the 13th round Ali hit Frazier and his mouthpiece fly out. It landed in my lap. I was sweating very hard. I lose 10 pounds and I wasn’t even fighting.
Poor Magazine: Really?
Manong: Yes, the mouthpiece is in a jar at home
Poor Magazine: So manong, do you rank Pacquaio as one of the greatest of all time?
Manong: Has to be. You cannot deny him
Poor Magazine: He has won 8 world titles in 8 different divisions. Nobody’s ever done that.
Manong: I come close to doing it
Poor Magazine: Close, how?
Manong: Back home when I was younger I have 8 kids. It was hard but I carry all of them…on my back, my shoulders, arms…all 8 at the same time. One of my kids even looked like Pacquaio. It was a hard life.
Poor Magazine: Can anyone beat Pacquaio?
Manong: Mayflower is the only one that can test him.
Poor Magazine: You mean Mayweather?
Manong: Mayflower, Mayweather…it’s all the same. He has the speed to give Pacquaio trouble. That would be a great fight. In my heart I would want Pacquaio but my brain says that Mayweather is very dangerous. He is a slick boxer who can punch too. We can only know when the bell rings.
Poor Magazine: What do you think of Pacquaio’s singing?
Manong: He is good. I saw him on that show at my friend’s house, the Kibble show.
Poor Magazine: You mean, Jimmy Kimmel?
Manong: Yes, Jimmy Kibble. His voice is ok. I think he does it to be around the pretty girls.
Poor Magazine: Manong, you still didn’t answer my question.
Manong: What question?
Poor Magazine: Is Pacquaio the best boxer of all time?
Manong: It is hard to say. Who is the best or the greatest changes every day, every month and every year. If you asked Ali who was the greatest, he would say Joe Louis. If you asked Joe Louis, he would say Sugar Ray Robinson.
Poor Magazine: Who do you say Manong?
Manong: I think Roberto Duran. If he fought Pacquaio it would be a true battle. It would be like Pacquaio fighting against himself. What I mean to say is that Pacquaio is the best right now…the best of his time. This is his time.
Poor Magazine: And in politics, wasn’t he elected to the Philippine House of Representatives?
Manong: I pray for him
(Our interview abruptly ended when our supervisor Riley J. Tipsy (not his real name) arrived)
© 2010 Revolutionary Worker Scholar