Pacquiao appears on MTV's nationwide audience tonight

International Sports Examiner | Marv Dumon

Boxing's pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will appear on MTV's popular dance hit show "America's Best Dance Crew" (ABDC) along with celebrity host Mario Lopez.
"ABDC" >

Pacquiao recently took time off from his busy schedule in preparing for his defense of the WBO title belt against Ghanaian native Joshua Clottey.

Updated Clottey Training Photos

The Filipino boxer will appear on one of MTV’s most popular shows after he was invited by his friend and host, Mario Lopez.

At the live taping, Pacquiao was introduced to a studio audience of several hundred - mostly young adults - and was met with loud cheers.

ABDC's next episode will be shown on Thursday, February 25 at 10pm EST / 9pm CST.

Lopez has previously interviewed Pacquiao on HBO Sports' popular 24 / 7 pre-fight series.

MTV Cribs >

Prize fighting's pound-for-pound king will also be featured on MTV Cribs, a popular 30-minute show on the network which showcases the homes of athletes and celebrities.

MTV's television crew arrived at Pacquiao's mansion in Los Angeles and was shown around the house by the Filipino fighter. The episode is expected to air within a few weeks and likely prior to summer. MTV has also historically shown reruns of prior episodes.

Jimmy Kimmel Live, Part 2 >

Finally, Pacquiao will re-appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on March 3rd. It will be the boxer's second appearance on the ABC network after he sang “Sometimes when we touch” in his first appearance in fall 2009.

Manny will also be featured in an upcoming CBS "60 Minutes" show.

Pacquiao's appearances on U.S. television confirms his popularity in mainstream sports.

The move might also be a public relations counter to rival Floyd Mayweather, Jr's publicity campaign against the Filipino icon in recent interviews on networks such as ESPN, Fox Sports, and NBA.com.

He has also given disparaging statements against Pacquiao, implying that the WBO welterweight champion has something to hide by "not taking a $25 million drug test."

Related Article: PR Blunder: Mayweather Winning Anti-Pacquiao Campaign in U.S.

Mayweather starred in a similar show on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

Pacquiao's fight against the larger Clottey is nearly two weeks away, and will be held on March 13th at the new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Source: Examiner.com