Manny's swansong brings mixed feelings for Filipinos

Dubai - Abu Dhabi resident Onyx Lalisan, who has been in the UAE for 10 years, said Manny was a big inspiration to all the Filipinos.

From abject poverty to going on to becoming a National hero, such stuff are the stuff of fairytales.
Manny Pacquiao rises from being a sprightly 16-year-old back in 1995 and then turning into one of the best boxers of this era, is well documented.
'Pac-Man' stirred and took a nation, making up more than 7000 islands, and put it on the world map. He has had a truly astounding career with a 58-6-2, 38 KOs record.
And if the ever smiling man from Sarangani province is to be believed, that 58th win at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Sunday night (Saturday morning in the UAE) was his last.
Pacquiao had said in the build-up that he would be retiring and after 12 rounds against Timothy Bradley, 'The Destroyer' reiterated that. If it is so, it brings to an end a fantastic career which spanned over two decades and where he left a lasting imprint.
Pacquiao won by a unanimous decision, with all three ringside judges scoring 116-110. The Filipino ace showed he still had it in him by knocking Bradley down in the seventh and ninth rounds.
But Pacquiao remains adamant that this was indeed his swansong. 'Ang Pambansang Kamao' (The Nation's Fist), who is now running for senator, will be looking to become 'Ang Pambansang Ninong' (National Godfather).
"I want to go home to my family and serve the people," Manny said after the bout.
Thousands of Filipinos, who make up 8.7 percent of the UAE population, woke up early on Monday morning to watch the bout. And while they were thrilled that their 'Manny' had done it again, there was a touch of sadness that he was retiring.
Abu Dhabi resident Onyx Lalisan, who has been in the UAE for 10 years, said Manny was a big inspiration to all the Filipinos.
"He is a big inspiration to all the Filipinos and is more than a national hero," said the 37-year-old Onyx, who works as a document controller with Gulf Fluor LLC.
"This was better than that fight against Floyd Mayweather. Bradley fought well here against Manny but Mayweather was always running away from Manny. Big credit to Bradley but then again Manny is still the best fighter in his category," he added.
"I watched the highlights later as I was at work and it is the same, Manny. It is time to retire now but he has still got it in him. He is the same old Manny, we all knew, the same killer instinct. But age is a big factor. Now, since, he has retired, he should focus on helping poor people back in our country," said Onyx, who hails from Ibajay, Aklan, in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Minette Katherine Pintor, who works as an Executive Secretary with KEO International Consultants, in Abu Dhabi, said, Manny was a matter of pride for Filipinos.
"I watched it at the office. It was a good fight from the start until the 12th round. It was like, I felt that he will really win," said Minette.
"He's running for a senatorial position and there had been issues because of which he should have cancelled the fight. But regardless, of that, I'm not happy that he is retiring. He gave our country pride. But then again, he should be in the ring doing what he does best than running for senator," she added.
james@khaleejtimes.com