PACQUIAO STILL KEYLESS IN VEGAS
By Rod Mijares
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 10 Nov 2009
Filipino Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto will be his 11th fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Eight of those fights including this fight with Cotto on November 14, 2009 at MGM Grand Arena are world championship bouts. He first fought in Las Vegas against South African Lehlohonolo Ledwaba on June 23, 2001 at MGM Grand where he captured his second world championship belt in the super bantamweight in as many weight class being the WBC flyweight title against Chatchai Sasaku of Thailand as the first.
However, inspite of the million of dollars that Pacquiao has brought to the coffers of Las Vegas, I still did not hear or read that Mayor Oscar Goodman of Las Vegas will present Manny Pacquiao with the key to the city.
Perhaps, Mayor Oscar Goodman should be informed that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California has already bestowed Manny Pacquiao with the honor of the “People’s Champion” on March 7, 2009.
Being a Las Vegan myself and a Filipino, me and thousands of Filipinos living in Las Vegas, we will be honored if the mayor will bestow this award to Manny Pacquiao. Not that Manny needs it but if the honorable mayor is the happiest mayor in the whole wide world, Pacquiao in the same token is the happiest and most accomplished boxer in the planet and most of the time makes Las Vegas as the happiest and center of media attention for a week every time Manny fights. So what is more fitting than the mayor finally giving this honor to Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino. If this becomes a reality, what happens in Vegas should not just stay in Vegas…Let the world know.
Top photo: Pacquiao (R) with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a March 7, 2009 photo when Pacquiao was honored by the city of Los Angeles as its 'People's Champion'.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rod Mijares.
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