A Macau affair to remember

CEBU, Philippines -  Since he became a boxing phenomenon with his stunning victory over Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, I covered a live fight of Manny Pacquiao only twice. The first was when he punched his way to a fifth round stoppage of Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov of Kazakhstan at the Quirino Grandstand and the second was when he scored a fourth round knockout of Thai warrior Fashan 3K Battery nine years ago at the MC Home Depot Open Air Arena, Taguig City.

As you may have noticed, both fights were held in Metro Manila. That is precisely the reason why I felt a deep sense of excitement and happiness after I got an invite from the highly esteemed businessman-sportsman Chester C. Cokaliong to go to Macau with him and his family to watch the first ever global boxing event unfold in Chinese territory.

What made me happier was when our president Sir Miguel G. Belmonte sanctioned my trip, making me an official representative of The Freeman to the historic "Clash in Cotai" fightcard topbilled by Pacquiao last November 24 at the Cotai Arena of the luxurious The Venetian Macau.

I really felt so blessed to have been given a rare chance to see Pacquiao live in action for my first international coverage as a sports journalist and my first trip abroad. Indeed, a triple treat!

 A windy chill greeted me when I arrived in Macau on the evening of November 23. Cleanliness was evident as you can't see even a single piece of thrash on the streets. Though they hardly understand English, the drivers were obviously very disciplined and courteous.        

I was so excited that moments after checking in at the Best Western Taipa where I stayed for two days, I immediately got out of the hotel and rode a taxi straight to The Venetian. Before climbing the short staircase leading to the hotel, I marveled first at the equally-famed skycrapers surrounding it that included the City of Dreams, Sands, Holiday Inn and Hard Rock Hotel. I then patiently waded through a sea of crowd outside the main entrance of The Venetian where an authentic Italian carnival was taking place as part of the Winter Strip at Cotai. Highlight was the Magical Masks of Venezia 3D light and sound show on the resort façade with a classic Italian theme, non-stop street entertainment, a magical carousel experience, zorb balls in the lagoon, traditional Venetian mask and face painting, and glass blowing.

An even thicker crowd was filling up the hotel's grand lobby, its majestic design and opulence were highly evident of a first-class luxury hotel and casino resort. Being the largest casino in the world, it no longer came as a surprise to me when I passed through hundreds of gambling tables and slot machines. What amazed me most while I proceeded to the Media Center to get my fight credential was the elegant 27-foot escalator, which I have never seen before. Near it was a beautiful Lotus sports car bearing a signage "Welcome to The Venetian".

The area alloted for the nearly 200 members of international media covering the event was overwhelmingly huge and beside it a colossal dining hall. The media center was already closed, but I was relieved when the staff told me to come early on the fight day to get my press card.

 As early as 5 am, I was already at the media center. Only the Nepalese security officer and I were there so I decided to roam around to have a glimpse of the breath-taking sceneries of the hotel where wine, dine and shopping options are open 24 hours. After an hour, I went back to the media center where a British lady greeted me with a grin as she handed me my ID.

I then went to the banquet hall for a sumptuous breakfast. While sharing the table with The Philippine Star's Quinito Henson and some members of Cebu media (John Pages and Jingo Quijano of Sun.Star, Dong Secuya of Philboxing. and Rick Gabuya of Cebu Daily News), I feasted on European and Japanese cuisines at the buffet table and, of course, the mouth-watering Chinese dimsum that is my all-time favorite.

Inside the sprawling Cotai Arena, I was seated between a Rappler correspondent and a Fox Sports News reporter just a few meters away from the ring. As I craned my neck around the venue, I spotted a mixture of celebrities and politicians who traveled all the way to Macau to be part of such a historic moment.

Among them were former president now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, his son Senator JV Ejercito, Senator Tito Sotto, his brother Vic Sotto and girlfriend Pauleen Luna, Joey de Leon, Kapuso star Dingdong Dantes, Sarah Lahbati, Kapamilya showbiz couple Maja Salvador and Gerald Anderson, musician Apl.de.Ap., Willie Revillame, Cesar Montano, and Philip Salvador. Also in attendance were Cebuano congressmen Samsam Gullas and Raul del Mar, Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, former mayor Tomas Osmeña, former DOTC undersecretary Totol Batuhan, former PSC chairman Philip Ella Juico, topnotch election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, Ruffa Gutierrez and her parents Anabelle Rama and Eddie Gutierrez.

Moments after the show started, the sold-out crowd of 11,200 broke into a wild round of applause when football superstar David Beckham and American celebrity Paris Hilton were flashed on the huge LED screens, but the loudest and most deafening cheers went to Mommy Dionisia, who watched the fight of his beloved son in person for only the second time.

The spectators further erupted into frenzied applause when the Filipino ring superstar and Rios made their grand entrance. After celebrated ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced the main protagonists, the mammoth crowd were thrilled to the bones as the main event got underway.

To the delight of the pro-Pinoy crowd, Pacquiao hammered his way to a one-sided demolition of Rios, whom the eight-division world champion mercilessly turned into a human punching bag on the way to clinch the WBO International welterweight crown.

With a resounding win, Pacquiao did not only revive his sagging career after the back-to-back defeats to Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, he also gave joy and a timely respite to tens of thousands of his countrymen who are still grieving and in the process of rebuilding their lives after having been battered by super typhoon Yolanda three weeks earlier.

Seeing Pacquiao back in his old fiery form made my Macau sojourn complete and memorable. A meaningful personal experience for me as it will surely broaden my horizon as a sports journalist. Truly, it was an affair to remember in my lifetime. (FREEMAN)