BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Evelio Leonardia will join Team Pacquiao in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to carry the Philippine flag during Senator Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Lucas Matthysse of Argentina this July 15.
Pacquiao, 39, an adopted son of Bacolod, will slug it out with Matthysse, 35, for the World Boxing Association (WBA) World welterweight title in the event dubbed “Fight of Champions” at the Axiata Arena.
“I have received an official letter from the senator himself asking me to carry the flag. I feel it is also my moral obligation as a friend to be there, in good times and in bad times. I talked to Senator Manny a few days ago and I already assured him that I will be there,” Leonardia told reporters on Tuesday afternoon after his 66th birthday celebration at SMX Convention Center Bacolod.
The mayor said he has been carrying the Philippine flag during Pacquiao’s fights since 2006, which “roughly it should be 24 times, but I wasn’t counting.”
It was either the flag or the boxing champion’s belt that he held before Pacquiao’s fight inside the ring.
However, in July last year, he failed to join Pacquao in his fight against Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia due to the delay in the processing of his visa.
This coming Sunday, Leonardia said the Pacquiao-Matthysse fight will be aired live in three venues around Bacolod.
These include the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports (Bays) Center and the gymnasiums of Barangays Villamonte and Handumanan.
Pacquiao is making a comeback more than a year after losing his World Boxing Organization title to Horn in the “Battle of Brisbane”.
The Filipino eight-division world champion turned politician arrived in the Malaysian capital Monday night. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
