The Real Manny Pacquiao

     Everyone by now knows Pacquiao's story.  A terrible childhood littered with days of hunger and hardship, a left hand and a ferocious fighting heart that brought him fame in boxing, a partnership with Freddie Roach that produced championships in 8 different weight divisions.  Everyone knows about Pacquiao's lightning quick speed, powerful left hand and blazing hand speed. Definitely, everyone knows of Pacquiao's off the ring problems, including extra marital affairs and uncontrolled gambling.  Everyone knows Manny Pacquiao, Fighter of the Year, sure-fire Hall of Famer, congressman and one-time pound-for-pound champion.  

     Or do we? 

       The downside of fame, I've found, is never about the loss of privacy. Oh please.  It's not even close. The greatest problem is perception.  People will always have opinions of you.  Right or wrong, with evidence or without, you and your actions will be judged by people you don't know about and their opinions will be right, according to them.  They'll believe they know how you think.  They can name your innermost desires and think the way you think. They will judge you, they will love you, they will hate you and that will be that. 


      As the legend of Manny Pacquiao grew, so did the number of opinions. 

      "He was gambling too much and he was broke," someone would say, while invoking the infallible, "someone i know who knows a Pacquiao friend."  

      "His congressional work is beginning to distract him," warns a boxing expert who quotes his unassailable "sources."

      "He fights for money and not for his country, " scoffs a sports fan subscribing to the thinking that pessimism runs closest to the truth.

      "He only won because he takes steroids," accuses a boxer whose own legacy was crumbling.

      "He didn't train hard enough," pontificates a viewer who watches boxing only when Pacquiao fights.

       But how much do we really know about public figures, even those whose book is as open as a 7-11 store?  In this day and age of anonymous internet posts, public relations teams, lazy reporting, a lot can be lost in the search for the truth.  It's easy to hide behind a laptop or tablet.  It's easy to hide behind 8 world title belts.  It's easy to hide behind public relations teams and it's easy to hide behind a knockout victory.  The only way to truly know someone is to strip them of everything.  Take away the talent, the riches, the public relations teams, the achievements and put them under the microscope.

     On December 9 2012, barely 10 minutes after the most devastating loss of his illustrious career, Manny Pacquiao faced the world, naked as a new born baby.  The microscope was on; everyone was ready to play psychic, boxing analyst, pastor and doomsayer.  All that was needed were his words.  

"I didn't see that punch."

"That's boxing. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose."

"I became overconfident."

"I will take a rest and I will fight again."

      Here was the defeated Pacquiao.  Gone was his aura of invincibility, gone were any of his 8 title belts, gone was the ubiquitous politicians standing behind him and gone was his perceived unparalleled talent; all that was left was Manny Pacquiao, the man.  With haters awaiting an excuse to slam and fans awaiting an explanation to accept, he offers no excuses and no steroid allegations.  He shows no victim complex, no 'woe is me' only a smile, humility and the truth. Yes, he took in a lot of money, but does all that money stand up to the thought that thousands of hours dedicated to building your legacy and that of your people may soon come crashing down?

    
     We now know who the true Manny Pacquiao is.  He is not a hurricane of a boxer whose unprecedented world titles in 8 divisions will never be matched.  He isn't the obscenely rich boxer who blows 70 million pesos a night at the casinos, neither is he the lothario who has bedded plenty of women and fathered a child outside of his marriage.  He is not the congressman who may or may not run for senate.  

     He is Manny Pacquiao, proud Filipino, who accepts defeat with no finger pointing and looks forward to doing better. Nevermore has he represented our country and our people better.