David Beckham and Manny Pacquiao
No, there isn’t a match entitled Beckham Vs. Pacquiao in Manila.
I am not really a football fan that is why I have not really written about the Azkals as well as the recent visit of British football superstar David Beckham in the country.
But I did read news items about last weekend’s friendly bout between the Philippine football team against the LA Galaxy team.
What especially caught my attention was the fact that Beckham was starstruck when Manny Pacquaio went into the stadium. He went to Manny and offered his white jersey to our Filipino boxing champ. It was reported that Manny’s wife Jinkee was giggling beside her husband, obviously thrilled with seeing Beckham face to face. But for Beckham, it was also like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Imagine that.
Now, who is the bigger superstar between these two professional athletes? Honestly, I don’t care. I am just proud about our very own Manny. No matter where he goes, his name resounds and people are just honored to meet him. And he is a Filipino. So I am proud.
What I like about Manny, as I have always written before, is that he is very humble. Like after a fight, he prays and raises his arms, as if thanking God for the victory. It is such a stark contrast to what happened after the Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito bout. In this fight, Cotto won and when Margarito went down, he looked down at his bloodied opponent and said some words that are not nice. I have never seen Pacquiao do that.
Pacquiao does not only possess exemplary athletic abilities, he is a true sportsman. And that is I think the reason why God continues to bless him, no matter what people say.
