Last Man Standing

The much anticipated rematch between Pinoy boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao and his rival, Juan Manuel Marquez is less than two days away. And I know all you boxing fans can't wait to see the fight.

Pacquiao certainly has a great influence in the Philippines. When he fights, everyone in the country are sure to be glued to the TV screen. Everything stops when Manny fights, even crime.

The Philippine National Police are predicting zero crime when Pacquiao fights this Sunday. It's an easy prediction to make. Virtually no crime occurred, when he fought his last few fights. Still, its a remarkable feat. The only other man who was able to bring crime in the Philippines to a halt is the late Pope John Paul II.

When the pope visited the country as part of the World Youth Day celebration, crime in the country dropped dramatically. That phenomenon happened more than a decade ago, but it is being duplicated whenever the Philippine boxing superstar performs. Even feuding politicians agreed to a truce so that all parties can give their attention to the fight.

Some boxing fans have declared that March 15 will be a sad day for the Philippines if Marquez emerges triumphant. I have agree with that statement. The outcome of this rematch will have a significant effect on the country. A loss for Pacquiao will make Filipinos feel bad.

However, Pacquiao will be able to come back, even if he loses. He is already one of the most widely recognized fighter and he can sell tickets. Their are still plenty of attractive fights that can be made in the case that he losses. Of course, winning will give him bigger opportunities and paybacks. Promoter Bob Arum has made announcements that Pacquiao will challenge David Diaz for his light weight title in June. That means Manny will be moving up in weight. However, Marquez is a huge hurdle to overcome.

I guess there's nothing more to say but to bid each fighter good luck. I hope that they will give us an exciting fight. All we can do now is wait for the bell to ring and find out who will be the last man standing.