Tag Archives: gq

GQ has a profile on Manny Pacquiao.

What’s more, Pacquiao is an unimaginably wealthy self-made man who could easily make himself even wealthier by moving to the United States to decrease his tax liabilities and multiply his endorsement opportunities. This is, in fact, the Philippine way, and has been for more than a hundred years; Filipinos who dream of building better lives for themselves and their families go to America and send money home. But this is not Manny Pacquiao’s way. Because…he is Manny Pacquiao. And Manny Pacquiao has chosen to find his bliss at home. “Not just in the Philippines,” says Abac Cordero, who covers boxing for The Philippine Star. “In his hometown. The place he started. You cannot understand how this has stunned us Filipinos. That Manny Pacquiao chose us.”

I’ve always found the narrative arc of heroes and villains in professional sports more interesting than the fights themselves; something about the evolution of a character’s mythos makes a sport worth watching.

(Here’s a highlight reel for Manny. For shits and giggles, here’s a reel for Roy Jones Jr. (which I find to be a showcase of unbelievable speed and agility).)