What, you may ask, is the breakfast of champions? Well the breakfast of the world’s foremost champion, boxing legend and Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao, is one for the history books.
Breakfast time in the ‘Pac-man’ household is a banquet of Tudoresque proportions, consisting of no less than steak, watermelon juice, oatmeal, steamed fish, bottled water, asparagus, steamed rice and fresh melon, the sporting icon told bc magazine’s Madeleine Ross who stepped into the ring to find out more about the man before his hotly anticipated November fight against American, Brandon ‘Bam Bam’ Rios.
The 12-round welterweight clash to be held at The Venetian in Macao on November 24 will be the first time Pacquiao has picked up his gloves since a crushing defeat against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez last December. The boxing world has pegged the November battle as Pac-man’s illustrious comeback.
Pacquiao’s story is even harder to fathom than his breakfast. At 34 he’s lived a Hollywood screenplay; he was raised by a single mother in abject poverty, forced onto the streets at 14 with little prospects, and began boxing as a means to survive.
Fast forward twenty years, and Pacquiao is the highest paid athlete in the world, according to ESPN, and the first and only eight-division world boxing champion, in which he has won six world titles.
But boxing is just one string to the Pac-man’s bow. Three years ago he was elected to Congress and this year won a second term as representative of the province of Sarangani.
He believes his boxing prowess has trained him for politics by making him “a fighter to fight poverty and fight corruption”. Many foresee him as President one day, and, as The Philippines’ most celebrated export, and a local deity, it’s by no means an unlikely prospect. He’s also leading the nation’s campaign against sex trafficking.
His nature outside the ring is wholly at odds with his famed aggression exhibited within it. Gentle and softly spoken, the Pac-man is at once incredibly shy and entirely self-possessed. Talking one-on-one he radiates boyish innocence and enthusiasm – his own disarming brand of charm.
So how does he balance the drive to fight with innate tranquillity?
“In the ring it’s different,” he says. “In the ring you have to protect yourself – to fight like a warrior.
“But outside the ring I’m a lover,” he smiles cheekily. “Not a fighter, but a lover.”
Adding to his persona as the world’s most unlikely boxer is his angelic singing voice. Pacquiao has recorded a number of singles including a duet with 80s pop singer Dan Hill, covering ‘Sometimes When We Touch’.
So what kind of music is he into at the moment? “I really love music, different kinds, it depends on my mood. I like slow rock,” he says.
One of his advisors prompts him – “Who do you listen to when you train?”
“Shakira!” He exclaims in his mellow Manny way, a huge grin plastered across his face, before breaking into a hearty schoolboy laugh. “I like her.”
As for boxing in China, Pacquiao can’t wait to bring the fight East.
“The Philippines is only an hour and a half away [by plane] so I’m expecting more Filipinos than Mexicans are going to watch,” he smiles. ‘The Mexecutioner’ is one of his nicknames, although not one he endorses.
The fight marks the biggest push yet from Macao’s Sands China resort group to create an entertainment hub comparable to Vegas’ finest. If they’ve got the formula right there are 1.3 billion chances they’ll reap serious profits, both in ticket sales and pay-per-view.
But considering China has essentially been absent from professional boxing to date, will the push pay off?
“Hopefully [the fight] will encourage them to promote professional boxing in China and that’s good for us,” says Pacquiao.
We can’t wait to watch Pac-man and Bam-Bam go fist-to-fist.
What: Pacquiao vs. Rios: The Clash in Cotai
When: 24 November, 2013
Where: CotaiArena, Venetian, Macau
How Much: $9,880, $6,480, $3,880, $1,880, $880 from www.cotaiticketing.com