Filipinos were celebrating in sports stadiums, restaurants and cinemas across the country after watching Manny Pacquiao knock out Britain’s Ricky Hatton.
Filipinos were celebrating in sports stadiums, restaurants and cinemas across the country on Sunday after watching Manny Pacquiao knock out Britain’s Ricky Hatton in their light-welterweight world title bout in Las Vegas.
Those who could not afford to watch the live feed listened to the contest on radios, leaving streets in the Philippines deserted on Sunday morning as the nation’s sporting flag-bearer was adding another victory to his record across the Pacific.
“Thanks to ‘Pac-man’, the entire Philippines is happy again,” 41-year-old taxi driver Felix Soza said after listening to the fight on radio because missing work would have led to a hefty fine from his cab company. The 30-year-old southpaw needed less than two rounds to wrestle the IBO title away from the Englishman, whose two knockdowns in the opening three minutes were greeted by wild applause in one packed cinema in the capital Manila.
“I thought the match would take longer but it turned out Hatton was a weakling compared to Manny,” said 50-year-old Dante Enriquez, who paid 551 pesos (around $11) for his ticket. The SM group, the country’s largest cinema operator, sold nearly 6,000 tickets at SM North EDSA in filling its biggest complex for the Pacquiao-Hatton match. Giant screens were set up in public arenas by local officials around the country and the bout also made some Filipinos richer through gambling winnings.
“I won, I won, Pac-man you’re great! My idol!” motorised tricycle driver Boyet Fernando said in Pacquiao’s hometown of General Santos City after doubling his money by betting a full day’s earnings of 300 pesos on the Filipino. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the rest of her delegation broke into cheers on a working visit in Egypt after they were told of Pacquiao’s victory, her spokesman said.
“The president joins the entire nation in jubilation and in thanking God for the spectacular victory of Manny Pacquiao,” Cerge Remonde said in a statement. The mayor of Pacquiao’s hometown in the southern part of the archipelago said the city would prepare an elaborate welcome for the boxer regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
With little activity on the streets during the bout, the police also had time to take a welcome break. “There was zero crime during the fight,” said national police spokesman Nicanor Bartolome.
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