Pacquiao vows to shoulder expenses of boxer in coma

MANILA, Philippines – The medical needs of Kenneth Egano, the Sarangani bantamweight who slipped into a coma after winning his eight-round fight late Saturday in Cavite, will be shouldered by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.

Egano collapsed while he was awaiting the official result of his bout against Jason Facularin in Imus and was brought to the hospital after paramedics attended to him on top of the ring.

“There is nothing more precious than human life,” Pacquiao said from General Santos City upon learning of Egano’s condition.

Pacquiao, whose boxing program Blow-By-Blow staged the Egano-Facularin match, has instructed his staff in Manila to make sure Egano receives all the help he needs.

Egano, 22, is now confined at the Imus Doctors Hospital and scheduled to undergo an operation Sunday.

The fighter’s parents are scheduled to arrive Monday on a flight from General Santos City after Blow-By-Blow staffers sent them flight tickets.

Watching over Egano at the hospital is his trainer, Dexter Benatero.

Egano and Facularin was the night’s most exciting fight and talks were already under way that they would be paired again sometime in July.

Egano, who made his Blow-By-Blow debut last February in General Santos City, entered the fight armed with a 6-1 win-loss record with three knockouts.

The Davao City-born Facularin, 23, came into the showdown with an unblemished mark of 4-0 with 4 wins inside the distance.

Pacquiao, who also fought in Blow-By-Blow when he was still on the way up, swears “boxing is truly a dangerous sport and the boxers deserve nothing but respect as they put their lives on the line.”

“Other sports you play, but you don’t play boxing,” added the eight-division champion.