 |
| via Facebook |
Mexicans and Filipinos share the same Spanish colonial history as well as a passion for boxing, but Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao has made things a little weird.
One night I was waiting for someone at a bar. The bartender was friendly and chatty, then he asked me what my ethnicity was. When I let him know that I'm half Filipino, the next question was, "Do you like Manny Pacquiao?"
"I love Manny Pacquiao," I said.
LA Filipino resident Mark Marking expresses his predictions on the upcoming fight.
The bartender then properly informed that he was Mexican, and that he "Hated Manny Pacquiao."
We manage to stare down each other for a few seconds. This is a rivalry that is deep rooted and personal because Manny Pacquiao has been dubbed "The Mexican Assassin" and "The Mexicutioner."
Although, it's a culturally insensitive moniker to carry, Pacquiao has managed to defeat every single Mexican opponent he faced with the exception of Erik Morales in 2005, but aside from that his record is pretty flawless. He's defeated 9 Mexican legends, including well renowned champion Oscar De La Hoya. This is why the bartender was staring me down.
I'm sympathetic. I eased my glare at the man who wants my coveted Manny pummeled, so then my Filipino blood stopped boiling. I continued with my drink, wondering how many other of these stare downs am I going to have? I was polite and cocky about Manny's ability to win pound for pound in any fight, so after my drink walked away from the bar with a smile.
The stare downs may either stop or get worse by this weekend, as Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time. Their fights have been close, too close in fact. It was a draw for their first match and a was a split decision during their second fight. That particular fight was so close, even Filipinos weren't even sure if Manny had clearly won.
Here are highlights from that fight:
There are no serious race riots at the moment, just a lot of verbal jabs. But, if Marquez were to defeat Pacquiao does this mean I won't be the one walking away with a smile? Will I be the one declaring that I HATE Marquez. Whatever, Manny is going to win.
Although, it's a culturally insensitive moniker to carry, Pacquiao has managed to defeat every single Mexican opponent he faced with the exception of Erik Morales in 2005, but aside from that his record is pretty flawless. He's defeated 9 Mexican legends, including well renowned champion Oscar De La Hoya. This is why the bartender was staring me down.
I'm sympathetic. I eased my glare at the man who wants my coveted Manny pummeled, so then my Filipino blood stopped boiling. I continued with my drink, wondering how many other of these stare downs am I going to have? I was polite and cocky about Manny's ability to win pound for pound in any fight, so after my drink walked away from the bar with a smile.
The stare downs may either stop or get worse by this weekend, as Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time. Their fights have been close, too close in fact. It was a draw for their first match and a was a split decision during their second fight. That particular fight was so close, even Filipinos weren't even sure if Manny had clearly won.
Here are highlights from that fight:
There are no serious race riots at the moment, just a lot of verbal jabs. But, if Marquez were to defeat Pacquiao does this mean I won't be the one walking away with a smile? Will I be the one declaring that I HATE Marquez. Whatever, Manny is going to win.
LA Filipino resident Mark Marking expresses his predictions on the upcoming fight.
I usually don't check in with my Mexican friends during fight time. My friend Adriana is a huge Manny hater. It's a wonder why she and I are still friends, but her detest for Pacquiao is amusing and brings me a lot of joy.
WOW cheated even!?!? I'll give her a call on Sunday and rub in her face when Manny wins.
I found one Mexican boxing fan, who actually LIKES Manny Pacquiao, but he decided to remain anonymous, because he fears for his life.
Jokes aside, the truth of the matter is, Mexican boxers are some of the greatest fighters in the world. This is just a tale of two cultures who love boxing, but clearly Manny is going to win on Saturday. We are going to continue to jab at each other. If it does so happen that Marquez wins it will be a sad day for Filipinos, but I'm sure Mexican fans will have plenty of tissue left over from Manny's previous wins.
No comments:
Post a Comment