PACQUIAO A HIT AT BOXING WRITERS AWARDS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 05 Jun 2010
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao was a hit at the Annual Boxing Writers Association gala dinner at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York and by all accounts delivered a short but well crafted speech very well.
In his remarks before a large crowd, Pacquiao recalled how poverty confronted his family and challenged his youth but stated ?I was pressured but not crushed? pointing out that in his struggles he ?combated poverty with boxing gloves.?
Known for his religiosity Pacquiao said he ?trusted God and dreamed big? even as he learned from his mistakes.
He said he was overflowing with joy and gratitude and was thankful that like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier who presented the ?Fighter of the Year? award to Pacquiao he decided to get into boxing and decided ?not to give up, never to give up.?
Pacquiao said he decided to trust God recalling that ?God formed my destiny. He formed me from nothing into something. He knows everything about me.?
Addressing Filipinos around the world Pacquiao repeated what he has often stressed before ?to my countrymen around the world you are my strength? even as he emphasized ?I am proud to be a Filipino.?
Pacquiao indicated that ?all the sacrifices have been beneficial and rewarding? adding ?we all desire to be good and leave a legacy.?
Pacquiao concluded his remarks by saying ?we are all destined for greatness. Greatness lies not in strength but the use of strength.?
The remarkable fighter who has set a record by winning seven world titles in seven weight divisions joined Ali and four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield as the only three-time winners of the Sugar Ray Robinson ?Fighter of the Year? award.
In being given the supreme accolade of the ?Fighter of the Decade? in which he out-polled Floyd Mayweather Jr by a margin of 2-to-1, Pacquiao who received the award from Jack Hirsch, president of the Boxing Writers Association of America joined Sugar Ray Robinson, Ali, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones Jr who were regarded as the best boxers in their decades.
Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz said it was ?tremendous? and that there was a point in the gala dinner where fighters, journalists and fans who crowded around Pacquiao to take pictures and get his autograph were requested to take their seats so the awards ceremony could go on.
Seated at Pacquiao?s table were his charming wife Jinkee, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, Fernando Beltran, the executive producer of Mexico?s Azteca TV network, CBS 60 Minutes host Bob Simmons, Roger Fernandez, Koncz and his son Oscar.
Also at Pacquiao?s table was Grammy and Juno award winning singer and songwriter Dan Hill who is known for his big hit ?Sometimes When We Touch? which Pacquiao sang on the Jimmy Kimmel show when he was a guest some months ago.
Top photo: Manny Pacquiao arrives for the BWAA awarding ceremony during last year's awards.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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