Eight-division boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao is going back to what he does best, his first love and the one thing that gave him and his family fame and fortune—boxing.
“It is still the best,” said the boxing icon, referring to the sport where he originally carved a name for himself.
Pacquiao has also dabbled into other ventures like basketball, chess and even politics, but on Sunday night, he made a return to his first love during the inaugural event of the “Manny Pacquiao’s Blow by Blow” in Mandaluyong City.
“Kayong mga kabataan, maganda rin ang basketball. Pero boxing pa rin ang the best para marating niyo pangarap niyo. Suportahan natin ang programang ito,” added the 43-year-old former pro basketball player and senator.
Blow-by-Blow made its debut in 1994 and ended in 1999. It was revived as Blow By Blow Reloaded in 2015 but only lasted until in 2016.
Pacquiao could not recount how many times he fought at a Blow-by-Blow event, when he was still a young, aspiring champion, but he recognized the people behind it as one of his vehicles to success.
“Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa Blow by Blow at sa Abalos family nu’ng nagsisimula pa lang ako, “ he said referring to Mandaluyong Mayor Ben Abalos, who has hosted a lot of Blow-by-Blow boxing in the city.
Now under the care of no less than its most famous product, Blow by Blow came back after eight years of absence with 10 bouts at the newly built Mandaluyong City College, headlined by the championship bout for the Philippine Boxing Federation super featherweight title.
Christian “Pitt” Laurente needed only 45 seconds in carving out a knockout victory over JR Magboo of Batangas.
The Blow-by-Blow event still had the same personalities from the original one like the TV commentator Quinito Henson, ring announcer Bobby Mondejar and referee Ver Garcia. Pacquiao’s friend, two-time world champion Gerry “Fearless” Peñalosa, will call the shots in charting the best boxing cards every month, along with veteran matchmaker Art Monis.
“Suportahan po natin itong Blow-by-Blow dahil magpapalaro po tayo every month sa lahat ng barangay sa Pilipinas,” said Pacquiao, who himself is also busy with his training for his exhibition bout with South Korean martial arts expert DK Yoo set in Seoul on December 11.