X’mas songs from Pacman

LAS VEGAS – Well-known jingle composer and songwriter Lito Camo has a big treat for Manny Pacquiao fans this Christmas. He’s putting together about 12 tracks – all original compositions – featuring Pacquiao on vocals in a year-end album, tentatively called “Manny Many Christmas.”

So far, Camo has written five songs for the special Yuletide CD, his second with Pacquiao.  The undisputed King of Novelty Songs (his credits include “Ocho-Ocho,” “Spaghetti,” “Bulaklak,” “Jumbo Hotdog,” “Sasakyan Kita” and “Wowowee”) was here to witness Pacquiao’s victory over Marco Antonio Barrera last Saturday.

It was Camo’s song “Lalaban Ako” that welcomed Pacquiao as he marched from his dressing room to the ring for the Barrera rematch. The same song – sung by Pacquiao, of course – was used when he entered the ring to face Jorge Solis in San Antonio last April.

“Lalaban Ako” was written by Camo in only 1 1/2 hours. The song was arranged by Jun Tamayo. Pacquiao and Camo are partners in a recording company whose first product was the eight-track CD entitled “Para Sa ’Yo Ang Laban Na ’To” released last year. The eight tracks were composed by Camo and sung by Pacquiao.

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There was no question that Pacquiao was far the superior fighter than Barrera. Two judges Jerry Roth, 66, and Glenn Trowbridge, 64, scored it 118-109 both for Pacquiao, awarding only two rounds for Barrera. New York judge Tom Schreck saw it 115-112 for Pacquiao and surprisingly had it even at 95-all after 10 rounds.  

Referee Tony Weeks, 51, slapped a one-point deduction on Barrera for hitting on the break in the 11th round. It was a desperate move by Barrera who nearly went down from a Pacquiao barrage a few moments earlier.

Weeks was the same referee who had difficulty deciding if Glenn Donaire should lose to Vic Darchinyan by technical knockout or technical decision in their IBF flyweight title bout last year. Donaire couldn’t continue because he claimed Darchinyan broke his jaw with a headbutt. Darchinyan insisted a punch did the damage and claimed a win by stoppage. Weeks eventually ruled a technical decision.

Schreck’s scorecard was an eyebrow-raiser. If not for Barrera’s penalty, he would’ve given Pacquiao only a two-point margin – clearly, not indicative of the one-sided match. Roth, who has worked over 100 world title bouts since 1982, saw Barrera winning only the first and eighth rounds. Trowbridge gave Barrera the fifth and 10th. Schreck awarded the first, second, third, eighth and 10th rounds to the Mexican.  

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There is growing interest for Pacquiao in China and a Chinese TV crew even flew here to cover his fight against Barrera. It was a firm indication that Macau or a city in the Mainland may host Pacquiao’s next bout.

Pacquiao gave at least eight interviews with different media groups, including a wacky tandem dressed in ’60s hippie clothes reporting for a popular Las Vegas radio program, during the media availability sessions two days before the bout. The sessions went from 1 to 2 p.m. and exhausted Pacquiao who said he was overwhelmed by the avalanche of media questions.

After the interviews, Pacquiao was driven in a golf cart by the Mandalay Bay chief of security with two companions – one was former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis (Chavit) Singson – from the Events Center to the hotel where he is billeted. The drive took about five minutes.