PACQUIAO. Change of heart.
Only a couple of years ago, talk about boxing champ, Manny Pacquiao, revolved, not just on his exploits in the ring, but also on his rumored romantic escapades.
But, starting this year—what a change! All of a sudden, breaking news has it that Manny has turned a new leaf—and, with what flair and flourish! Not only has he stopped dallying with obliging damsels, but he’s even started spouting pious biblical quotations. In fact, he’s being touted as an official biblical exponent or “ambassador”!
Most potentially game-changing of all is the champ’s declaration that boxing is against the teachings of the Church, because it flouts God’s word against violence.
Influential
Since we eschew the sport of boxing for the same reason, we found Manny’s change of heart truly significant and potentially influential. If he held on to it, he could encourage people to similarly reconsider their own views regarding violence, and that would be all to the good.
Of course, it would also call into question his own continued participation in the sport that has made him world-famous, as well as a dollar millionaire many times over—but, that’s another story.
—Well, it looks like that story will have to wait some more to be told, because recent developments indicate that Manny’s “righteous” retirement from boxing has been put on hold for the nonce. In fact, he’s currently preparing for his next title fight.
—What about after that? Well, just last week, he intimated that one of his sons was urging him to push through with his “fight of the century” against the jive-talking Floyd Mayweather, to “teach him a lesson.” So, that grudge encounter could transpire first before Manny hangs up his gloves and lives up to his newfound convictions.
Then, there’s Pacquiao’s political career to consider—or reconfigure. All along, we thought that his other career, as a self-styled show biz star, was launched for the long-range purpose of making him popular enough for people to take him seriously as a senatorial or even vice-presidential bet, as early as in the next national polls.
Image-enhancer
In fact, his formally being hailed on his TV game show as “Ninong” to his program’s grateful contestants and beneficiaries can be seen as a key image-enhancer in this regard.
Could his recent “religious” change of heart be the next big step in this long-range direction? And, if so, will Manny’s senatorial and even vice-presidential ambitions be superseded by a presidential one? (Gulp.)
—After all, there was a time when several lay religious leaders with a national following on TV were being touted as possible presidential bets due to their vote-getting potential.
If and when Manny’s different career thrusts “volt in” and converge—as boxing legend, show biz star, political leader and newly minted religious avatar, all rolled into one—the ultimate Champion of the Nation shall have been proclaimed! (Gulp again.)