Gold in Manny's wardrobe for fight

MANILA, Philippines - When WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao enters the ring to stake his crown against Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this morning (Manila time), he’ll be wearing shorts and a robe with shimmering touches of gold to reflect his feat of capturing seven titles in seven divisions.

It’s only fitting that the King will glow in his moment of glory.

Nike country marketing manager Mae Dichupa said yesterday the additional touches of gold were incorporated in his wardrobe as a tribute to the Filipino icon’s achievements.

As for his fighting shoes, Dichupa said he will wear boots that feature Nike’s flywire technology, enhancing performance by anchoring the feet into the footwear, minimizing slippage during movement. The flywire design, placed in key parts of the upper, allows the maximum amount of energy to be moved forward in each stride, explained Dichupa.

“In Manny’s case, the technology will assist in translating that energy into more force with his punches,” she added.

In keeping with tradition, Nike has produced commemorative T-shirts and a new shoe to rally support for Pacquiao in the first defense of his WBO crown. The shirts come in three styles in six colorways and only 5,500 were made for each variation for a total of 34,000 pieces. The shirts were imported from Mexico.

The three styles are Pride, Pacman Knows and Fight Night. The shirts hit Nike stores last March 5.

The Pride shirt banners a special Pacquiao facial graphic depicting icons, symbols and defining moments in his rise as the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Pacquiao’s face is detailed with inscriptions and identifiable images of Freddie Roach and even Jose Rizal. The words “courage,” “resilience” and “sacrifice” are worked into the shadows of his eyes.

The Pacman Knows design comes in white and blue. The Pacquiao logo is inscribed in the letter “o” in “Knows” over the Nike swoosh. The Fight Night style shows the classic design of the traditional boxing poster with phrases like “The World Awaits” “Fighting Pride of the Philippines “ “No. 1 Pound-For-Pound Fighter” “Pacman Runs Circles Around Opponents” “The Main Event” “The Mexecutioner” and “The Destroyer.”

The hot item is the newly unveiled MP Trainer SC 2010 Low, a specially-designed shoe with the Philippine flag’s colors of red, blue, white and yellow. It’s two ounces lighter than the Air Trainer SC III and makes extensive use of the flywire technology with added features of a phylite midsole, heel max air and Nike diamond FLX grooves. The shoe is just a few days old in the shelves and retails for P5,295.

It’s the fourth shoe that Nike has produced to honor Pacquiao. “The design is heavily inspired by Manny’s pride for and of his local origins,” said Dichupa. “Now, boxing fans are able to train like Manny himself. The shoe celebrates the nationalism evident in every fight that Manny battles.”

Only 20,000 pairs were produced with 1,300 earmarked for the Philippines in selected Nike stores. Aside from the Philippines, the shoe is available only in the US, Canada, Australia and Singapore.

Dichupa said Pacquiao’s emergence as a global icon isn’t just an honor for Nike but for all Filipinos.

“Manny is the first Filipino athlete to be part of a global campaign shot alongside other international sporting greats,” said Dichupa. “We hope to roll out something similar in the near future Manny’s passion for sport, determination coupled with superior athleticism, embodies Nike’s ‘just do it’ spirit, making him the perfect brand ambassador.”

Pacquiao’s ascendancy has placed him on equal footing with the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer.

“Manny is considered a world-renowned athlete and is widely respected for the feats he has achieved, placing him on a global scale and on the same league as other Nike global athletes like Kobe,” continued Dichupa. “All Nike athletes respect each other for their commitment and passion behind their sport. Kobe supports Manny in his fights. During Kobe ‘s visit to Manila last year, he was asked whom he was rooting for in the fight against Miguel Cotto. Kobe backed Manny without hesitation. His support for him is founded on his recognition of Manny having the same passion as he has for their respective sports.”

Dichupa said of the different shirt designs honoring Pacquiao, the biggest seller is “Lights Out” with about 8,000 units sold in the Philippines. But the most popular, based on consumer feedback, is the original “blood” shirt,” the first Pacquiao design by Nike. The “blood” is no longer available in the market and is now considered a collector’s item.

“Nike is proud of all of Manny’s accomplishments,” said Dichupa. “He serves as an inspiration to athletes around the globe and especially to the youth of the Philippines. His dedication to training, which is how he builds his physical and mental strength, plays a key factor in his success. Nobody trains like Manny. Couple that discipline with his talent and skill and we have a world champion. What makes it even more special is that he is Filipino.

Dichupa said over the last four years, Nike has supported Pacquiao vigorously and will continue to back him into the future as he inspires youth athletes to achieve their sports dreams. – Joaquin Henson