Pakyawin mo, pare!

Since business is not too good nowadays and now with the swine flu virus, a couple of businessmen have told me they’ll try to take in some profit from the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton bout in Las Vegas this coming Sunday, May 3 (11 a.m. Manila time). Betting odds place the Filipino boxer as the favorite at -280 while numbers for the British champ have him as the clear underdog at +215. That means a $280 bet on Pacquiao will win $100, while a $100 bet on Hatton will win $215. A month before the fight, betting has already started, with initial odds showing Manny as the “ llamado” at -$215 against Hatton’s +$185. According to sources, over $100 million will be changing hands – and you can bet some of those hands will belong to Filipino gamblers and well-known figures.

According to Ring Magazine, 17 experts are putting their money on the Filipino fighter, with three predicting a Hatton win. Nevertheless, Manny is not about to underestimate his opponent, saying the fight will not be an easy one. That attitude shows how seriously the Pacman takes every bout, not resting on the glory of previous fights like the one where he demolished Oscar de la Hoya. Hatton believers say there is no really comparison between the Pacman-Dela Hoya fight since the latter was “an old man” lasting only eight rounds. While Hatton may have lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the British champ lasted until Round 10. Factor in his “superior physicality” and you have a Hatton victory, they say.

No doubt this fight is going to be historic. Another win by Pacquiao will clearly turn him into a living legend and perhaps the most famous Filipino ever. In fact when I was in Singapore, a limousine driver was so impressed when I showed him a photo of Manny and I that he almost gave me a free ride. Just how popular Manny has become can be seen at the way baseball spectators almost went berserk when he threw the ceremonial pitch during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres at the AT&T Park in San Francisco, which attracted a sold-out crowd of 42,000 when word came out about Pacman being the guest.

MGM Grand said tickets for the fight were sold out two weeks ago, with ringside seats reportedly going for as high as $15,000, and a record crowd attendance of 16,300. Tickets for “closed-circuit” viewing at the Mirage, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Circus Circus, and Monte Carlo have also been sold out. GMA will probably be watching the match through a special closed-circuit television.

Philippine Airline flights to Las Vegas have been solidly booked, perhaps with many of the passengers flying in to watch the “Battle of East and West.” However, we’ve been told some people are hesitating due to the outbreak of the swine flu virus in Mexico and the US. But in the Philippines, we already have enough swine afflicted with the pork barrel flu. At any rate, millions all over the world will probably watch the bout via pay per view. Cinemas, restaurants, public stadiums will also air the fight live via satellite, with tickets at P500 to P1,000 inclusive of breakfast.

Truth is, the Pacquiao-Hatton fight seems to have opened a floodgate of opportunities for gamblers. Though Freddie Roach predicted a third round knockout in favor of his ward, bets are still on regarding the number of rounds before the fight ends. At an online betting site, odds that the fight will last over nine-and-a-half rounds are at -135, while bets that it will end under nine-and-a-half rounds are at -105. The Hatton camp meanwhile is claiming their champ is so pumped up he will probably beat the lights out of Pacquiao on Round 6. In an informal survey, 85 percent believe Pacman will knock out Hatton compared to only 10 percent who think the Hitman will TKO Pacquiao.

While the bout will be shown via satellite over at the Solar Sports Channel and GMA 7, a lot of Filipinos are expecting a delay of three hours and have become resigned to the fact that a slew of commercials will be shown in between rounds starting from the undercard fights, with the frequency of interruptions getting longer as the main event approaches.

According to Solar’s William Tieng, the Dela Hoya-Pacquiao fight grossed over P120 million, and no doubt the coming fight will earn even more from ad placements with close to 50 advertisers scrambling to get a slot during the bout. Interestingly, our friend Bacolod Congressman Monico Puentevella wants an inquiry to limit the number of commercials for highly anticipated events like the fights of Pacquiao. While he understands the need for networks to earn, he decries the practice of some that is bordering on the “predatory.”

In fact, inveterate Pinoy gamblers are even placing wagers on the number of commercials that will be posted after every round, with many predicting a minimum of 25 15-seconder ads, while some go by the number of minutes the ads will last. If one were to believe what the priests are saying, gambling seems to have become part of Filipino culture, and are blaming poverty as the culprit because gambling is an easy way to make easy money. No doubt sabong, mahjong, horseracing, pusoy and other card games have become a regular pastime among Filipinos particularly from the lower sectors of society. 

Be that as it may, there’s no denying that events like the upcoming Pacquiao-Hatton fight – though they may spark gambling – is also one opportunity where Filipinos will once again become united, where hostilities will be temporarily shelved. And the best of all – no traffic and pollution at least for one morning.

As for the winner – you can bet I’m for the great Manny. As Filipinos would say, pakyawin mo na, pare!

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