Despite loss, Pacquiao still a big boost to ‘Pinoy Pride’
LAS VEGAS — ALA Promotions President and CEO Michael P. Aldeguer said Manny Pacquiao is still, and will always be a pride of the entire Filipino nation despite falling short in his mission of becoming the first boxer to inflict defeat on poundfor-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Battling through an injured shoulder, Pacquiao tried his best to put on a show but couldn't fire his offensive gun to its highest level largely due to Mayweather's tactical defensive strategy. It may be boring to some, but it was the kind of fight the unbeaten American champion wanted it to be.
When the dust settled, the 'Fight of the Century' didn't live up to its hype. It wasn't a classic match nor a battle for the ages as it was earlier projected by many as Mayweather literally danced his way to a unanimous decision victory to stretch his amazing record to 48-0 and at the same time unify the WBO, WBC, and WBA welterweight titles.
Despite the unfavorable outcome for the millions of Filipinos and other Pacman fans all over the world, Aldeguer said Pacquiao still deserved all the glory and honor for his tremendous contribution to the Philippine sports that resdonated even in other corners of the globe.
"The 'Fight of the Century' has already created an impact for our country not just the sport of boxing. Manny has brought boxing to a different level in the eyes of the millions of boxing fans around the world," said
Aldeguer, who watched the highest-grossing event in boxing history last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
"There will never be another Pacquiao but we as Filipinos have to hopefully hold on to the legacy that Manny has started."
On their part, Aldeguer assured that ALA Promotions will do its part not only in putting up world-class entertainment through their highly successful 'Pinoy Pride' series but also in harnessing boxing talents and eventually mold them into ring champions that the Filipinos could look up to like Pacquiao someday.
"In the ALA organization, we always think for what the sport of boxing can do for our country and what our country can do for boxing. It's not just about ALA but Philippine boxing in general," said Aldeguer.
At the moment, Aldeguer said they are gearing up for their maiden venture in the lucrative US market this July as well as in their upcoming fight card in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on June 12, the country's Independence Day.
Aldeguer said they will hold a follow-up to the sequel of their highly-successful 'Pinoy Pride' series in Dubai due to strong public demand as their inaugural overseas promotion in the oil-rich emirate in September last year turned out a blockbuster hit.
"The crowd was phenomenal, never seen anything like it before. The feedback was tremendous and the public demand to do it again was overwhelming," said Aldeguer.
For this year, Aldeguer said their plan is to hold two promotions in the Middle East and three events in the United States.
"We plan to make the Middle East as our ground to show the world that a Philippine-based company can compete with the world's best in putting up world-class events," Aldeguer said. "Hopefully, we could launch our maiden event in US this July."