Manny Pacquiao's Star Power Keeps Rising

Pacquiao vs Clottey
Manny Pacquiao is a congressional candidate in his native Philippines, where a super hero movie he starred in there debuted on Christmas.

He has been the subject of large, or front page features in Time Magazine, the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and ESPN's Body Issue -- the latter along with athletes such as Dwight Howard and Serena Williams.

While he was celebrating his 31st birthday in General Santos City, Philippines, on Dec. 17, with thousands of his country men and dignitaries in attendance, Pacquiao received the news that it was being announced, at the same time, in America, that he had been named among Time Magazine's Top 25 People Who Mattered in 2009 -- listed alphabetically right behind the United States' first African American president, Barack Obama.

And on Tuesday, March 3, the seven-division champion and current WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king will make his second appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live -- the same place on which Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) stole the show from beginning to end on Nov. 3.


Pacquiao's first appearance came about two weeks prior to his dethroning Miguel Cotto as WBO champ with a 12th-round knockout on Nov. 14, just as his second one will come about two weeks prior his first defense of the belt -- a March 13 clash with former IBF titlist, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), of Ghana slated for The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

A three-time Fighter Of The Year who was recently named Fighter Of The Decade, Pacquiao even rubs elbows with other celebrities at the Wild Card Boxing Club, where he is being prepared for Clottey by four-time Trainer Of The Year, Freddie Roach.

Pacquiao is also expected to be featured sometime in the fall on 60 Minutes, which will have access to the fighter from the moment he lands in Dallas for his bout with Clottey, all the way up until the show airs, according to Lee Samuels, publicist for Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank.

During a recent workout, Robert Duvall visited Pacquiao and Roach (all pictured above, from left to right), the gym's owner and proprietor.

Asked if he would agree that Pacquiao has become a cross-over star, the figher's Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, said "That's 100 percent correct."

"That was our goal when we started with Manny, was to break him out from the Filipino base that he had. We were able to pick up millions of Hispanic fans and we have broken him in to the general conscience of the people around the world," said ," Arum.

"Manny is truly a crossover star," said Arum, who has promoted Muhammad Ali, and compares Pacquiao favorably to him in popularity. "How many fighters of our time go on Jimmy Kimmel Live? How many fighters go on Good Morning America, like he's going to be doing? And how many fighters have a big article coming out in Time magazine, which he is going to have again? I think that is saying something."

On the last Jimmy Kimmel Live, Pacquaio was introduced by the host as "The Pride Of The Philippines," and nearly every gesture that Pacquiao made was greeted by cheers or laughter or both from the largely Filipino audience.

Considered boxing's premiere fighter, pound-for-pound, Pacquiao's fist name -- "Manny!" -- was repeatedly chanted by the members of the crowd.

The fighter opened the show by smashing hanging pumpins with his fists -- much like he does heavybags in training or rivals in the ring. And he closed it by singing with the members of the Jimmy Kimmel Live band, just as he did while holding a late-night concert right after defeating Cotto.

Since losing to Erik Morales in March of 2005, Pacquiao is 11-0, with eight knockouts. That run includes two knockouts of Morales, victories over Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, and, in his last four bouts, knockouts of David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Cotto, respectively.

Pacquiao (pictured at right, on the left, with Julio Cesar Chavez) has said that after his bout with Clottey, he will immediately return to the Philippines and concentrate on the political side of his life.

Pacquiao did rule out retirement.

"In the election, I am leading. And the start of campaigning is March 26, so it will not be until after my fight. After the fight, I will go back to the Philippines and start campaigning," said Pacquiao.

"It is going to be busy. I want to pass some bills that will be good for the livelihood of the people there and education for the children," said Pacquiao. "This is my last fight before the election. I am not saying I'm going to retire. It is hard to say right now when I'm going to retire, but this is my last fight before the election, and I'm very excited about it."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com