Manny's quest to make boxing history and the first-ever Nike 'Under the Hood' event

LOS ANGELES, California — In 2006, after being a Pacquiao fan for almost a decade, I ventured to the Thomas & Mack center in Las Vegas, Nevada to witness Manny Pacquiao convincingly dismantle Erik Morales in the third fight of their trilogy. The resultant effect was the inevitable evolution of a legend, especially after Top Rank promoter Bob Arum assigned the catchphrase, “Best fighter in the world, pound for pound,” to our fighting pride of the Philippines. 

It’s one thing to be a fan boy and view our hero with subjective bias. It’s another thing altogether when, after demonstrating consistent success, one actually earns that status, unequivocally and across the board. Manny was already becoming a phenom in the boxing world, but with his recent commanding wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, he has since elevated his stature to that of a worldwide phenomenon.

This Saturday, Nov. 14, Manny not only has a chance at silencing the naysayers with a win over Miguel Cotto, but also a chance to make history by becoming the first fighter in history to achieve seven world titles in seven different weight classes. I don’t need a future victory over Mayweather to validate Manny; but to earn seven titles in seven divisions alone is not only historic, it’s superhuman. Perhaps even mythical.

Manny has charisma and star appeal, and he is a “jack of all trades” — loves to sing, play basketball, dabbles in a bit of acting. The world clamors to experience what has resonated into a “Manny ripple effect.” Everything he touches turns to gold, or at least provides a kind of hope easily worth its weight in gold. Recently gracing the cover of Time Asia, (something no other fighter has achieved in the last 20 years since Mike Tyson), Manny’s endearing personality continually solidifies his persona as the people’s champ.

With the accolades and amazing athletic feats piling on, it’s no wonder that Manny has held a reciprocal relationship with the world’s largest sport’s entity, none other than Nike. He is celebrated and honored as one of the current Nike superstars, and rightfully shares the glory with sports legends like that Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong.

Last Nov. 7, in an unprecedented event, Nike honored Manny with the “Under the Hood” sendoff event at the Ricardo Montalban Theater, Hollywood, California. The party gathered fans from all over California and guests were treated with hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, a showcase of Manny memorabilia, portraits and a chance to purchase their own customized Nike apparel, in the form of the new re-crafted classic the “AW77” hoodie.

This most memorable event gave fans a chance to Q&A the champ and his team, offer well wishes, all while watching the taped messages from various Hollywood stars. The personal message from actor “Marky” Mark Wahlberg was the most sincere: “Manny, you are humble, you love God, and you love your people and that’s why they love you.” There couldn’t have been a more succinct toast. 

Heartfelt video greetings from actors Emile Hirsch and Mario Lopez were followed with live appearances by Nike SB athlete Paul Rodriguez and MTV VJ host Quddus. The fans unknowingly were surprised with a mini concert, singing a duet of Lahing Pilipino with Fil-Am singer Melissa R. (former contestant during the search for “the next Pussycat Doll”).

During the Q&A, Manny offered answers to many questions coming in over Twitter and from the live audience. One tweet queried Manny: At what moment did you realize that boxing was what you were meant to do?” “When I started fighting at the age of 12 and kept winning, I realized I loved to fight in the ring.”

When asked what his emotions are whenever he steps into the ring before a fight, he answered: “Excited, happy and never having any fear.” Another online question asked if he would have ever fought Tyson in his prime (an obvious mismatch). Manny gestured with his hands as if holding a game console controller and stated, “Maybe in the video game.” 

Questions were directed toward the training team and Coach Freddy Roach was asked, what was his most memorable moment in Manny’s corner? With pride only a teacher can know when a student demonstrates the fruits of his diligence, Freddy recalled, “It was the rematch with Morales, where we devastated him.” He further added that was when “we developed the right hand to be as good as the left.” Manny was no longer one-dimensional and had evolved into the best.

Alex Ariza, strength and conditioning coach, remarked that the best thing about working with Manny is that “he needs no motivation. Manny is always ready to train 100 percent.”

Manny sent the crowd roaring when he replied that his motivation for fighting has always been “family and the hope of the Filipino people.”

If not a fighter, what would you be doing for a career? Despite the crowd’s overwhelming belief that it might be singing, Manny’s response was, in fact, “basketball.”

“Aside from boxing, I love to play basketball. I use it as cross-training.”

The one thing consistent with Manny is his undying dedication to his fans. Despite his morphing to global superstar status in such a short amount of time, his willingness to accommodate and please his fans is always paramount.

Jeffrin Radovan, 24, of San Francisco was the first fan to remain queued up since early morning just for the chance to meet and greet his idol. The significance of the event for him is best summarized with his thoughts:

“While we were standing in line I had this distinct feeling of taking part in history. Manny is doing amazing things in and out of the boxing ring.  When they look at these accomplishments years from now, we’ll be able to say, ‘We were there.’ He represents what’s good in boxing: hard work, heavy training, and exciting fights. That he is the most internationally acclaimed Filipino athlete in history brings immense pride to Filipinos.”

I spent some time after the event with Mae Dichupa, marketing manager for Nike Philippines, and pressed her for more info. She expressed that the Nike Family is “very proud of Manny” because he “embodies ‘Just Do It’ training.” Because of this, he has been awarded the prestigious honor of being the first Filipino athlete to grace American billboards in Union Square, San Francisco and downtown Hollywood.

“What was the total number of those attending the event?”

“More than 850 fans and boxing aficionados attended the Under the Hood event,” said Mae. Aside from those in Hollywood, fans globally were able to appreciate the event via “live video streams on nikesportswear.com, Facebook and Ustream. ‘Under The Hood’ was viewed with active participation by thousands of fans all over the world and had the Internet blowing up with activity.”

Some of the fans I interviewed told me that they knew of the event only through Twitter and Facebook. I asked Mae what the principal method was for getting the word out about the event and distributing the tickets.

“Nike acknowledges the power of social media, most especially when communicating with the brand’s target audience,” she said. “Aside from using traditional mediums, we utilized digital dissemination for constant announcements and updates to support the event. Invites were sent to influencers, boxing communities, colleges and community outreaches as well posting invitations at www.nikesportswear.com, Manny’s fan site and other online media portals. A total of 100 tickets were distributed at Nike Town LA and 100 through digital efforts while 50 tickets were distributed at SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans — a community-based support foundation for Filipinos in the LA area).”

What was the key motivation for staging the “first-ever” Nike sendoff party for our beloved Manny?

“Manny Pacquiao has been a Nike athlete for four years now and we’re proud of what he has accomplished. He has showcased the full capacity of Filipino athletes and given us tremendous pride, paving the way for future Filipino global athletes,” said Mae.

“For four years, Nike has been supporting Manny Pacquiao in all his fights, whether it’s through premium performance gear or campaigns rallying the entire nation in his support. This year is the first time for Nike to hold a send-off party in LA and it’s a testament of the brand’s commitment in supporting Manny Pacquiao as he continues to outdo himself in boxing. We believe that he perfectly embodies the ‘Just Do It’ spirit of Nike and we continue to support Manny in his journey to making his mark in history.”

Presently, who are the other notable Nike athletes aside from Manny Pacquiao?

“Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Kirsten Kjellman, Derek Jeter, Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.”

Does Manny have a signature boxing shoe, I asked? 

“Nike has continued to create and design products for each of Manny Pacquiao’s fights,” answered Mae. “His feats are ours as well. In the years that we have enjoyed a partnership with him, we have developed merchandise that either highlight his athletic determination, or celebrate major highlights of his battles. Recently, we launched the Nike 259 shoe that celebrates the astonishing interval time that he took to knock out Ricky Hatton.”

 Is the AW77 athletic gear aligned with Manny specifically or is it endorsed by all the Nike athletes? Was it designed just for Manny? 

“The AW 77 is a universal hoodie, which Nike re-developed for its athletes like Kobe Bryant. However, the Nike AW77 ‘Pound for Pound’ hoodie was specially designed and crafted to celebrate the mind, heart, and soul of world’s greatest boxer, Manny Pacquiao,” she said.

The History Behind The Aw77 Hoodie

A re-engineered classic, it was originally designed in 1977 by Nike’s Geoff Hollister for the Athletics West training club to fulfill an athlete’s need for an ultimate heavyweight hoodie that could withstand heavy use and keep the athlete focused on their game. 

The old classic is now an upgraded version for fall/winter 2009 incorporating a soft and comfortable French looped cotton spun from loopwheeler looms, but rugged enough to exhibit water-resistant qualities. It takes the punishment of daily life and comes back for more.

A season of firsts, Nike reintroduced this sportswear classic with a pioneering campaign that gathered seven of the best athletes from various disciplines to showcase the new classic, The AW77 hoodie. Rapidly becoming standard issue for the likes of Kobe Bryant, Manny Pacquiao, Raphael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Sofia Boutella, Lebron James, and Alexandre Pato, the AW77 was one of the key features of Nike’s first-ever Manny Pacquiao sendoff party.

Some of the best reality checks regarding our lives come in the form of what people say about us. Social media and viral sources have been some of the best ways to disseminate information, with the potential to cause a storm of influence. While browsing the Internet I came across a Nike video showcasing clips of Manny training, wherein Michael Jordan narrates this closing statement: “It’s not about the shoes, it’s what you do in them.”

Manny’s shoes are tough to fill. He has walked a path that would consume the best of us, but with success after success he continues to capture the hearts of millions worldwide and it is only fitting that one of the most prolific sporting brands of our era stands behind his every move. Like Kobe Bryant and other Nike Legacy greats at the top of their game, Manny leads in all things he does, joining an elite family of Nike athletes and continuing to champion our pride.

For information about Nike sportswear visit www.nike.com.ph.