By Manny Pinol
Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has personally invited his long-time friend Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte to watch his Nov. 23 fight against American champion Chris Algieri in Macau.
The Pacman extended the invitation when he and the colorful City Mayor met in Davao City during a basketball tournament last month.
Christopher “Bong” Go, close-in aide of Mayor Duterte, said the Filipino boxing legend has personally allocated choice seats for the Mayor and his group.
Last Tuesday, when I visited Pacquiao in his gym in Gen. Santos City, he asked for confirmation on whether Mayor Duterte would really watch his fight against Algieri.
When I told him that the Mayor and his group including his high school classmate and childhood friend Sonny Dominguez, former agriculture secretary, will surely be at ringside, Pacquiao appeared very pleased.
The friendship between Pacquiao and Duterte started way back when the Pacman was not yet an international celebrity.
With the help of Mayor Duterte, I and several friends promoted his fight against Thailand’s Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym at the RMC Gym in Davao City on Oct. 26, 2002.
The fight, which was a defense of Pacquiao’s IBF Superbantamweight title ended in a 1st round KO following four knockdowns punctuated by a thunderous uppercut.
That was the first and the last time that Mayor Duterte watched Pacquiao fight at ringside.
Mayor Duterte and his group will arrive in Macau Nov. 22 and leave for Hong Kong right the fight on Nov. 23.
(Photo caption: Manny Pacquiao, conditioning coach Justin Fortune and I in the MP Gym last Tuesday.)
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