Pacman fully focused, even on small details
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 26 Mar 2007
At the “Moment of Truth” Promotions held at Cebu City last month, Manny Pacquiao upon seeing me, cordially extended a nice friendly greetings. “Hi Doc, kumusta ka. Kelan ka dumating?” That recognition alone made my day. As I extended my hand to him to feel his warm handshake, he leaned forward and said: “I need a new mouth guard. Can you make a new one for me when I get to the States?”
Of course I said yes. For a dentist with a passion for boxing like myself, nothing could be better than being asked once again to custom fabricate a mouth guard by the man himself, one of the world’s best pound-for-pound ring gladiators! Pacquiao’s confidence on my professional competence is simply heartwarming.
The unsavory reception he received in Cebu galvanized my perception of Pacquiao. It takes a man with a strong will to ignore the catcalls and the booing and yet keep focused on the tasks ahead.
When Pacquiao made the request, it dawned to me that in spite of what everyone was saying and the “distractions” that currently swarm around him, Pacquiao is focused on his coming fight with Jorge Solis. True, he will not be spending the same amount of time training at the Wildcard Gym as he did with the last Morales fight and that his “non-training” time is divided by the other stuff he currently does. Of course, that is not to mention the legal mumbo-jumbo that “hangs over his back like a monkey”.
But, in so far as his fight with Solis is concerned, I feel he is focused. If he was not, and he is looking ahead beyond the Solis fight, and into the May 2007 Elections, would he even remember little details like a new mouth guard in the middle of a hostile crowd that was booing him? I don’t think so!
Today, I visited Pacquiao at his swanky apartment at the Palazzo in Los Angeles. His new dive is far better that the previous ones he had at the same complex. Pacquiao now stays at the penthouse. I was there to take impressions of his dentition so I can custom fabricate a new mouth guard for him. I would have loved it if he had time to drive to my office in Canoga Park. But, for someone like Pacquiao, whose stay in LA and is devoted to training, I did not mind driving up to his apartment instead. Pacquiao is simply that special.
As per his request, Pacquiao’s new mouth guard will be yellow and blue. Yellow for a bright new future for the Philippines and blue for the hope and aspirations he wishes for its people.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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