Behind the scenes of the Grand Finale
December 10, 2006 | 12:00am
You know what happened in the ring that fateful Saturday night of Nov. 18 when Manny Pacquiao knocked out Erik Morales in the third round of their Grand Finale at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Millions of Filipinos watched the action on TV, in pay-per-view venues, in theaters all over the country. For less than 10 minutes, the entire nation was mesmerized as Pacquiao established himself as the world’s most exciting fighter, pound for pound, in a blaze of fistic glory.
But how Pacquiao was before and after the fight is something not known to most fans – until now.
Two days before the bout, Pacquiao was quiet and pensive. His mood was far from engaging because nobody enjoys fasting for over 24 hours. He entertained no visitors in his two-bedroom suite, No. 501, at the Wynn Hotel. In the morning, he watched a Jet Li movie on the DVD player and drank only water. Then, Pacquiao was whisked to a press conference and did a light workout in a nearby gym, just to raise a little sweat skipping rope.
Back in his room, Pacquiao ate the white of an egg at about 6 p.m. and about an hour later, went to sleep. The whole day, he only took sips of water to keep from getting dehydrated and ate the egg to make sure he would make the 130-pound limit.
Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee arrived from General Santos City in Los Angeles the Friday before. They hadn’t seen each other since Pacquiao left to train at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood two months ago. While Pacquiao was in training, Jinkee delivered their third child and first daughter, Mary Divine Grace.
Pacquiao, Jinkee and an entourage of trainers, fans and friends motored from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the final stop in the long journey to prove his supremacy over Morales.
On the eve of the fight, Pacquiao tipped the scales at 129 pounds. Morales, who underwent a grueling four-month conditioning program, also weighed in at 129, drawing a roar of approval from the Mexican fans at the Cox Pavilion on the University of Nevada at Las Vegas campus.
After the weigh-in, Pacquiao feasted on beef kebab, chicken lule (ground and marinated), slices of pear, beef soup and rice. He ate on a makeshift table in the corridor of the Cox Pavilion beside trainer Nonoy Neri.
San Pedro, Laguna, native Archie Banes who lives in Torrance, California, cooked the food for Pacquiao and bought the ingredients from a Mediterranean store.
Pacquiao hardly spoke a word as he ate. Jinkee stood behind him.
The next morning on the day of the fight, at around 8:15, Fr. Marlon Beof of Palawan celebrated the Holy Mass in Pacquiao’s suite. About 50 relatives, friends and fans joined Pacquiao in the service.
During the prayers of the faithful, Pacquiao spoke out. He didn’t ask the Lord for a victory. He only pleaded for God to spare Morales and him from harm and for an outcome that would make Filipinos happy.
Among those who attended the Mass were the Solar Sports top brass: president William Tieng, chief operating officer Peter Chanliong and vice president for finance Ronald Tieng; trainer Freddie Roach; Batangas Rep. Dodo Mandanas’ Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia; Patrick Antonio; No Fear’s Tommy Ong; chief of staff Jayke Joson; Pacquiao’s marketing head Eric Pineda and wife Macy; Reli de Leon; Buboy Fernandez; Dyan Castillejo; Neri; Gerry Penalosa; and Rudy and Virgie Llido.
Fr. Beof, 38, met Pacquiao by accident at the Manila international airport three years ago. He is assigned at the Tagaste monastery in New York. Fr. Beof studied in Baguio and was based in Spain for studies before he was ordained in Mexico. He was transferred to New York six years ago. His parents Jose and Lolita migrated to the US in 1989.
Pacquiao wore the same "No Fear" long-sleeved shirt he wore the morning of his second fight against Morales last January. And in keeping with tradition, he walked around the hotel with Jinkee after the Mass.
Some 30 minutes before the fight, Pacquiao felt faint in the dressing room and nursed a 38.5-degree fever. His tonsils were painful and his head was spinning. Pacquiao talked to Roach about possibly canceling the fight. Roach, however, said it was too late and Pacquiao just had to suck it up.
When Pacquiao stepped into the ring, he had a somber look on his face and was all wrapped up, a towel around his neck. Morales never knew his opponent was ill.
The arena drew a live gate of 18,276 – the third largest for a boxing event in Southern Nevada history after Larry Holmes-Gerry Cooney in 1982 and Julio Cesar Chavez-Hector Camacho in 1992. It was later announced that the bout drew some 350,000 pay-per-view hits in the US or $17.5 million in revenues.
Filipinos and Mexicans crowded the stadium, cheering themselves hoarse for their heroes.
Those in attendance included Rep. Mikey Arroyo and wife Angela, Gov. Chavit Singson and wife Che, Sen. Lito Lapid, Gov. Ito Ynares, Gov. Ayong Maliksi, Gov. Willie Enverga, Gov. Manny Pinol (who covered the fight for ABS-CBN with Sev Sarmenta and Castillejo), Rep. Prospero Nograles, Rep. Ding Roman, Rep. Aurelio Umali, Rep. Monico Puentevella, Rep. Eric Singson, Rep. Vincent Crisologo, Leonardia (who held up Pacquiao’s championship belt in the ring), Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus, Tarlac City Mayor Aro Mendoza, ABS-CBN chairman Gabby Lopez, Philippine Basketball League commissioner and GMA reporter Chino Trinidad (who anchored the fight for Solar Sports), Chito Macapagal of Unilever, former world champion Morris East, Pacquiao’s first manager Polding Correa of Malabon, Nike’s Melissa Crucillo and Tony Atayde, Chris Aquino (who hoisted the Philippine flag in the ring), Martin Nievera, Rudy Fernandez, Edu Manzano, Bayani Agbayani, Dennis Padilla, Juliana Palermo, Eddie Gutierrez, Anabelle Rama, Jose Mari Ojeda and wife Christy, Jinggoy Llige, Lando Hiso, Bernard Cloma, Games and Amusements Board commissioner Angel Bautista and boxing chief Dr. Nasser Cruz, referee Silvestre Abainza, Jackie Castillejo, Mike Guingona, Marc Nelson, Mommy Rose Flaminiano and Roy Gonzales of Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao fought with a sense of urgency and went for the kill from the onset. Morales had the same thing in mind but lacked the power to stymie the rampaging Filipino who checked in for the fight weighing 144 pounds to the Mexican’s 139. In the second round, Pacquiao floored Morales with a left. And in the third round, Morales went down twice. On his final trip to the canvas, Morales looked at his father Jose in his corner, shook his head and took the 10-count from referee Vic Drakulich.
In the press conference about an hour after the massacre, Pacquiao was in high spirits although still under the weather. He answered questions from newsmen beside manager Shelly Finkel, Roach and Fernandez. It didn’t look like he had just emerged from battle because he was virtually unmarked.
Pacquiao rested in his suite, played cards at the Wynn casino and watched the new Cirque du Soleil show Love featuring the music of the Beatles at the Mirage Hotel the next day. He was invited to tour the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Portland, before flying home but decided to postpone the visit. After lunch on Monday, Pacquiao drove back to Los Angeles where he boarded a Philippine Airlines flight back to Manila.
Jinkee confided that the day before her departure for the US, she sent a letter to the Carmelite nuns in Davao asking for their prayers. She religiously prayed novenas to seek God’s protection for Pacquiao. Her prayers and those of millions of Filipinos were answered.
Millions of Filipinos watched the action on TV, in pay-per-view venues, in theaters all over the country. For less than 10 minutes, the entire nation was mesmerized as Pacquiao established himself as the world’s most exciting fighter, pound for pound, in a blaze of fistic glory.
But how Pacquiao was before and after the fight is something not known to most fans – until now.
Two days before the bout, Pacquiao was quiet and pensive. His mood was far from engaging because nobody enjoys fasting for over 24 hours. He entertained no visitors in his two-bedroom suite, No. 501, at the Wynn Hotel. In the morning, he watched a Jet Li movie on the DVD player and drank only water. Then, Pacquiao was whisked to a press conference and did a light workout in a nearby gym, just to raise a little sweat skipping rope.
Back in his room, Pacquiao ate the white of an egg at about 6 p.m. and about an hour later, went to sleep. The whole day, he only took sips of water to keep from getting dehydrated and ate the egg to make sure he would make the 130-pound limit.
Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee arrived from General Santos City in Los Angeles the Friday before. They hadn’t seen each other since Pacquiao left to train at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood two months ago. While Pacquiao was in training, Jinkee delivered their third child and first daughter, Mary Divine Grace.
Pacquiao, Jinkee and an entourage of trainers, fans and friends motored from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the final stop in the long journey to prove his supremacy over Morales.
On the eve of the fight, Pacquiao tipped the scales at 129 pounds. Morales, who underwent a grueling four-month conditioning program, also weighed in at 129, drawing a roar of approval from the Mexican fans at the Cox Pavilion on the University of Nevada at Las Vegas campus.
After the weigh-in, Pacquiao feasted on beef kebab, chicken lule (ground and marinated), slices of pear, beef soup and rice. He ate on a makeshift table in the corridor of the Cox Pavilion beside trainer Nonoy Neri.
San Pedro, Laguna, native Archie Banes who lives in Torrance, California, cooked the food for Pacquiao and bought the ingredients from a Mediterranean store.
Pacquiao hardly spoke a word as he ate. Jinkee stood behind him.
The next morning on the day of the fight, at around 8:15, Fr. Marlon Beof of Palawan celebrated the Holy Mass in Pacquiao’s suite. About 50 relatives, friends and fans joined Pacquiao in the service.
During the prayers of the faithful, Pacquiao spoke out. He didn’t ask the Lord for a victory. He only pleaded for God to spare Morales and him from harm and for an outcome that would make Filipinos happy.
Among those who attended the Mass were the Solar Sports top brass: president William Tieng, chief operating officer Peter Chanliong and vice president for finance Ronald Tieng; trainer Freddie Roach; Batangas Rep. Dodo Mandanas’ Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia; Patrick Antonio; No Fear’s Tommy Ong; chief of staff Jayke Joson; Pacquiao’s marketing head Eric Pineda and wife Macy; Reli de Leon; Buboy Fernandez; Dyan Castillejo; Neri; Gerry Penalosa; and Rudy and Virgie Llido.
Fr. Beof, 38, met Pacquiao by accident at the Manila international airport three years ago. He is assigned at the Tagaste monastery in New York. Fr. Beof studied in Baguio and was based in Spain for studies before he was ordained in Mexico. He was transferred to New York six years ago. His parents Jose and Lolita migrated to the US in 1989.
Pacquiao wore the same "No Fear" long-sleeved shirt he wore the morning of his second fight against Morales last January. And in keeping with tradition, he walked around the hotel with Jinkee after the Mass.
Some 30 minutes before the fight, Pacquiao felt faint in the dressing room and nursed a 38.5-degree fever. His tonsils were painful and his head was spinning. Pacquiao talked to Roach about possibly canceling the fight. Roach, however, said it was too late and Pacquiao just had to suck it up.
When Pacquiao stepped into the ring, he had a somber look on his face and was all wrapped up, a towel around his neck. Morales never knew his opponent was ill.
The arena drew a live gate of 18,276 – the third largest for a boxing event in Southern Nevada history after Larry Holmes-Gerry Cooney in 1982 and Julio Cesar Chavez-Hector Camacho in 1992. It was later announced that the bout drew some 350,000 pay-per-view hits in the US or $17.5 million in revenues.
Filipinos and Mexicans crowded the stadium, cheering themselves hoarse for their heroes.
Those in attendance included Rep. Mikey Arroyo and wife Angela, Gov. Chavit Singson and wife Che, Sen. Lito Lapid, Gov. Ito Ynares, Gov. Ayong Maliksi, Gov. Willie Enverga, Gov. Manny Pinol (who covered the fight for ABS-CBN with Sev Sarmenta and Castillejo), Rep. Prospero Nograles, Rep. Ding Roman, Rep. Aurelio Umali, Rep. Monico Puentevella, Rep. Eric Singson, Rep. Vincent Crisologo, Leonardia (who held up Pacquiao’s championship belt in the ring), Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus, Tarlac City Mayor Aro Mendoza, ABS-CBN chairman Gabby Lopez, Philippine Basketball League commissioner and GMA reporter Chino Trinidad (who anchored the fight for Solar Sports), Chito Macapagal of Unilever, former world champion Morris East, Pacquiao’s first manager Polding Correa of Malabon, Nike’s Melissa Crucillo and Tony Atayde, Chris Aquino (who hoisted the Philippine flag in the ring), Martin Nievera, Rudy Fernandez, Edu Manzano, Bayani Agbayani, Dennis Padilla, Juliana Palermo, Eddie Gutierrez, Anabelle Rama, Jose Mari Ojeda and wife Christy, Jinggoy Llige, Lando Hiso, Bernard Cloma, Games and Amusements Board commissioner Angel Bautista and boxing chief Dr. Nasser Cruz, referee Silvestre Abainza, Jackie Castillejo, Mike Guingona, Marc Nelson, Mommy Rose Flaminiano and Roy Gonzales of Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao fought with a sense of urgency and went for the kill from the onset. Morales had the same thing in mind but lacked the power to stymie the rampaging Filipino who checked in for the fight weighing 144 pounds to the Mexican’s 139. In the second round, Pacquiao floored Morales with a left. And in the third round, Morales went down twice. On his final trip to the canvas, Morales looked at his father Jose in his corner, shook his head and took the 10-count from referee Vic Drakulich.
In the press conference about an hour after the massacre, Pacquiao was in high spirits although still under the weather. He answered questions from newsmen beside manager Shelly Finkel, Roach and Fernandez. It didn’t look like he had just emerged from battle because he was virtually unmarked.
Pacquiao rested in his suite, played cards at the Wynn casino and watched the new Cirque du Soleil show Love featuring the music of the Beatles at the Mirage Hotel the next day. He was invited to tour the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Portland, before flying home but decided to postpone the visit. After lunch on Monday, Pacquiao drove back to Los Angeles where he boarded a Philippine Airlines flight back to Manila.
Jinkee confided that the day before her departure for the US, she sent a letter to the Carmelite nuns in Davao asking for their prayers. She religiously prayed novenas to seek God’s protection for Pacquiao. Her prayers and those of millions of Filipinos were answered.
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