The city council has honored world boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and three other top local boxers for bringing pride to the city and the entire country through their recent fights.
The council passed four separate resolutions in their regular session on Tuesday “congratulating and commending” Pacquiao, flyweight Froilan Saludar, junior flyweight Randy Petalcorin, and featherweight John Vicent Moralde for their “successful” bouts.
Vice Mayor Shirlyn Nograles said Pacquiao deserves the highest recognition from the city despite losing his epic bout last May 3 against undefeated American fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas.
She said Pacquiao gave an outstanding performance in the fight, which was dubbed as the “fight of the century.”
“Pacquiao’s fight performance over Floyd Mayweather is truly a classic display of speed and explosive fist power,” she said.
Nograles, who authored the resolution, said the fight emerged as one of the biggest shows in the world of professional boxing and elevated Pacquiao as “one of the greatest and most dominant figures” in the sport.
“(We) convey this resolution as a way of giving honor to the one and only Manny Pacquiao, a self-made man, a working class hero, and an icon of the Filipino race whose astounding success had become a great and lasting inspiration to humanity,” she said.
On the other hand, the council also recognized Saludar, Petalcorin and Moralde as the city’s “champions.”
Saludar wrested the World Boxing Organization (WBO) intercontinental flyweight title last April 25 after a fifth round technical knockout win against Indonesian Faris Nenggo in Haikou, Hainan in China.
Petalcorin brought home the World Boxing Association interim junior flyweight title after dominating Chinese Ma Yi Ming in their bout last April 24 held at the Capital Gym in Beijing, China.
Moralde originally hails from Davao City but is currently a part of a local boxing stable and has made the city his second home.
He conquered the vacant World Boxing Council Asia Boxing Council continental featherweight title following a unanimous win last March 14 against Australian Braydon Smith in Toowoomba, Queensand in Australia.
Moralde’s win had taken a sad twist after Smith collapsed following the match and died in a Queensland hospital two days later.
Meantime, sources from the Pacquiao camp disclosed that the the boxing icon’s homecoming has been reset to Friday.
Pacquiao, who arrived in Manila early Wednesday along with his family and boxing team, initially planned to return home on Thursday.
The local governments of Sarangani and this city has prepared a grand hero’s welcome for Pacquiao’s homecoming on Friday, which also coincides with his mother Dionisia’s 66th birthday. (PNA)
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