When the great boxer Manny Pacquiao flew into Bangkok Traversing the Orient’s Ben Hopkins was there to throw a few questions

On May 2nd, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao sent a shock wave through the world of boxing and most likely destroyed the career of Britain’s most popular fighter, Ricky Hatton. In doing so, he added the light-welterweight crown to his past world titles which include lightweight, super-featherweight, light- feather­weight, featherweight and flyweight.

Sports writer Tim Dahlberg summed it up neatly, “Manny Pacquiao didn’t just beat Hatton. He didn’t just knock him out. He demolished a world class fighter who had never lost at his natural weight of 140 lbs. He did it with such precision and ease that the talk afterward wasn’t whether Pacquiao is the best pound for pound fighter in the world, but whether he might be one of the best ever”.

A few weeks later, on May 25th, the man nick­named ‘The Pacman’ flew into a media scrum in Bangkok’s Intercontinental Hotel. Entering the room the five foot six Filipino disappeared be­hind a melee of photographers. Dressed in a San Miguel tracksuit top Manny looks almost nor­mal. In the ring it’s another story. His physique is chiseled and his speed makes some of the world’s best boxers look ordinary.

During the San Miguel sponsored press con­ference in Bangkok he was relaxed and defer­ential, commenting on how lucky he is to have been gifted such talent by God. When asked to compare Thai boxing with Philippine boxing he pointed out – much to the delight of Pol General Kovid Bhakdibhumi, who is also Vice President of the WBC – that Thailand too, has great fight­ers. However, when it comes to talking up his own prowess as a boxer Manny allows his fists to do the talking.

There’s none of the arrogance of Floyd May-weather or the aggression of Tyson. Immediately after the 2 minute 59 second demolition of Ricky Hatton he almost apologized to the thousands of British fans who’d flown the Atlantic to have their dreams shattered.

“No hard feelings,” he explained shortly after the fight, “I was just doing my job, I hit him hard, he went down and I knew he wasn’t going to get up.” This disarming understatement sent a rip­ple of laughter through an international press corps struggling for superlatives to describe what they’d just witnessed.

I asked him when he took up boxing and what motivated him as a fighter.

“I started training when I was 11 years old.” His potential was quickly noticed by the trainers and more starkly by the young opponents he’d skip rings around. Talent is nothing without the motivation to dedicate oneself to practice. “My family was very poor,” he said “that was my motivation. When I started winning, my prize money went to my mother.”

Growing up on a vegetable farm overlooking General Santos City with his sister and two younger brothers, life was far from easy for the future champion. Shortly after leaving school his father left home, never to return. The young Pacquiao worked as a baker’s assistant during the day and over the years boxed himself and his family out of poverty.

In 1994, at the age of 15 Manny was noticed and, along with 10 other promising teenagers from General Santos City, was shipped to Manila on a slow boat. None of the teenagers had a single centavo in their pocket. Manny would train hard in the gym and sell cigarettes on the streets to make ends meet. Some nights he’d be lucky enough to sleep on the dirty canvass in the ring, other nights he was out on the street.

To succeed, Manny knew he had to work extra hard in the gym, bulk up and live a spartan lifestyle. Turning pro in 1995, weigh­ing 106 pounds the teenage boxer slowly began to make a name for himself. A string of successes led to him wresting the Ori­ental flyweight title from Thai veteran Chokchai Chokwiwat in 1997 and a year later he came from behind to stop another Thai, Chatchai Sasakul, for the WBC 112- pound crown.

By 2001 his business manager Rod Nazario realized he was running out of opposition in Asia and took him to San Francis­co in search of a manager willing to give him a break. However, it was Freddie Roach from the Wild Card Gym in Las Vegas who spotted the unpolished gem in Pacquiao.

From there the titles began to fall to Filipino southpaw. Fight­ing across the US he quickly built his reputation as a bell to bell, devil may care brawler. Fans called him the ‘Mexecution­er’ for mowing down challengers from south of the border and ‘Pacman’ for taking out anyone who got in the way.

Successes over the past couple of years have pole vaulted him into the super league of sports stars along with the likes of Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong.

In the San Miguel press conference much is made of Manny Pacquiao’s new role as ambassador for San Miguel. But if San Miguel is the drink of the Philippines then Pacquiao is the pride of the Philippines. On nights when he’s fighting for a world crown the 96 million people of his disparate nation become one while the crime rate takes a hit for the better. Hearing of the statistics Manny said he would box all the time if it could stop crime and murder and unify his people.

No surprise then that in 2007 Manny was lured into running for public office, losing to incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio of South Cotabato. Many of his fans begged him to leave politics to the politicians and to focus on his boxing. For now, at least, he’s heeding their advice. However, it’s no secret that he’s keen to take his fighting spirit into the political arena when his boxing career comes to an end.

Earlier in the day he’d met the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit who gifted him with a basket of fruit and a framed picture. “It was an honor to meet the PM,” Manny tells the audience. But when one of the journalists quips, “Did he ask to borrow money from you?” there’s a chorus of laughter and a few nervous looks from a small throng of VIP’s. Manny does the right thing, smiles broadly and motions the next question.

A young Thai journalist asks his opinion on a subject that Manny isn’t willing to smile off. “Today, in the paper, I read that Mayweather said he can beat you very easily. What do you say to that?”

This time Manny is off the ropes.

“You know, Floyd Mayweather is like his father. Too many words are coming through his mouth, too much talking. Look at what happened after the fight. When we asked him (Mayweather Senior – Hatton’s trainer) after the fight what he thinks now, he didn’t say anything.”

In Las Vegas on July 18, Floyd Mayweather will take on Juan Manuel Marquez. Manny Pacquiao has made clear his intent to fight the winner of this bout. Like most boxing commentators he believes it’ll be Mayweather.

Before entering a short period of retirement Mayweather was considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Pacquiao has taken that crown and  Mayweather  wants  it  back.  Commentators  are  divided  over  who’ll emerge victorious but there’s a steely determination in Pacquiao that breeds an unshakable confidence in his people. The fight is scheduled for October and already people are talking of it as being the fight of the century.

Shortly before Manny leaves to sign autographs and strike poses for the cameramen I ask him, what are the main advantages and drawbacks of international fame?

The advantages speak for themselves. But when he considers the disadvantages he pauses.  There are no complaints about  loss of privacy or people who try to take advantage of his fame. Perhaps for someone who emerged from rural poverty  into fame and fortune such complaints seem pointless, even  selfish.  Instead, he explains, “My success comes with responsibility. When I fight, I know I’m fighting not just for myself and my family, but for all Filipinos.”