A HEROES WELCOME FOR PACQUIAO
By Tonton Alcos-Antogop
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 16 Jul 2018
KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA- Manny Pacquiao will once again be afforded a heroes welcome today when he comes home to General Santos City and his official residence in Sarangani.
The reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight king who wrested the crown from erstwhile champion Lucas Matthysse via a 7th round TKO here yesterday at the full-packed Axiata Arena will depart from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 12 noon aboard a charted Philippine Airlines (PAL) with the entire entourage of Team Pacquiao.
Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian-Solon who watched the bout from ringside said that the heroes welcome is just fitting for the fighting senator of the Philippines.
"He very well deserved the accolades, he is a hero," Chiongbian-Solon told this writer.
The Sarangani Governor who is also a staunch political ally of the senator said that the victory of Pacquiao is "special" because it happened at a time that the Filipino boxing icon has himself promoted the boxing event, a departure from his past victories.
"We are emotional because Manny now has been freed from dependence. He is now carving his own boxing path," Solon emphatically said.
Pacquiao used to be under the promotion of Top Rank of world renown promoter Bob Arum but in his fight with Matthysse billed "Fight of Champions," the Filipino world champion did it through his own MP Promotions alongside Oscar Dela Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions who handles the dethroned Argentinian boxing titlist.
For his part, Gensan Mayor Ronnel Rivera said that Pacquiao looked very well conditioned in the fight.
"His condition is very excellent. I saw his fights in the past, he was well but his bout with Matthysse was very exceptional," Rivera said in a chance interview at Le Meridien where he is also billeted along with the Team Pacquiao.
After touching down at the General Santos City International Airport at past 3pm, Pacquiao who will be given an honorary welcome rites in the airport tarmac, will have a motorcade in the streets of Gensan enroute to a press conference at the city's Veranza Mall.
To join Pacquiao in the float will be Chiongbian-Solon, Gensan City Vice Mayor Shirlyn Banas-Nograles and other local elective officials.
Rivera who also watched the fight in the VIP row could not make it because of a prior commitment.
Pacquiao's victory yesterday was the 60th knockout victory of his sterling career, happening after nine years where he defeated Miguel Cotto in a 12th round TKO in 2009.
His victory against Matthysse catapulted him again in the Top 5 of the Pound for Pound (P4P) of boxing's top 50 list.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Tonton Alcos-Antogop.
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