Huge Luneta crowd expected in Pacquiao tiff

Manny Pacquiao is expected to draw a mammoth crowd at the Luneta Park when he stakes his reputation and stature against untested Kazakh fighter Serikzhan Yeshmangbetov in the non-title but keenly-awaited fight on March 15.

Dubbed "Bakbakan sa Luneta," the Pacquiao-Yeshmangbetov duel is set for 10 rounds with Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo joining hands in staging the promotion free to the public.

"Excited na akong lumaban lalong-lalo na at dito pa sa Maynila gagawin ang aking laban," said Pacquiao, now back here in Manila for training under Freddie Roach, Buboy Fernandez and business manager Rod Nazario. "Hindi ko bibiguin ang ating mga kababayan na umaasang ako’y magtatagumpay."

Truly, everybody hopes the reigning IBF junior featherweight champion, who boasts of a 36-2-1 (win-loss-draw) record, will come out triumphant against a rival who totes a 13-9-1 mark highlighted by eight knockouts.

"Although Pacquiao’s IBF crown will not be on the line, his reputation and lofty stature will be at stake in the fight," Atienza said. "We are quite confident that he will win to further boost plans for his next fight in the US."

Mayor Atienza, who made the General Santos-bred Pacquiao an "Adopted Son of Manila" days after he captured the International Boxing Federation super bantamweight title in Las Vegas in June 2001, is inviting people from all walks of life to come to the Luneta and cheer for the hometown hero.

The Manila Sports Council, headed by Arnold "Ali" Atienza, has been tapped to coordinate for the city government of Manila in making sure the blockbuster event runs without any snag.

"Brace yourselves for top-notch action," said Ali. "An event of this magnitude is not easy to handle, but we are doing our best to guarantee that everything turns out well."

In the 1990s, Luisito Espinosa fought twice at the Luneta where he was able to draw huge crowds on both occasions, but the MASCO believes Paquiao has got what it takes to draw an even bigger crowd.

"It’s different when Paquiao steps into the ring. Gustong-gusto siyang lumaban ng mga taong mahilig sa boksing," added Ali.

Although the Kazakh’s record pales in comparison with that of the Filipino southpaw’s, Yeshmangbetov racked up loads of experience during his amateur days when Kazakhstan was still part of the Soviet Union.

The Paquiao headliner will be spiced up by several matches featuring some of the country’s rising stars in pro boxing.

One of the top attractions is Z Gorres, the unbeaten flyweight from Cebu who battles Roy Balataria for the interim flyweight championship.