BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who carried the Philippine flag during Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao’s fight against Argentinian Lucas Matthysse on Sunday, said the boxing icon’s successful comeback shows he is not retiring yet.
“That spectacular victory will lay to rest speculations of his retirement. He continues to be a big crowd-drawer. One could see and feel the adulation here in Kuala Lumpur,” the Bacolod mayor said in a press statement on Sunday evening.
Pacquiao, 39, an eight-division world champion, dethroned the 35-year-old Lucas Matthysse for the World Boxing Association (WBA) World welterweight title in a seventh-round knockout at the main event of “Fight of the Champions” at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
His successful return to the ring came a little more than a year after losing his World Boxing Organization title to Jeff Horn in the “Battle of Brisbane” in Australia.
“It was an emotional win for Manny and the Philippines. It was Manny’s first knockout victory after nine long years and it dispelled the ghost of that highly questionable loss to Jeff Horn in Australia last year. It also proved that he still has the hardware,” Leonardia said.
Before he flew to Malaysia last Wednesday, the Bacolod mayor said he has received an official letter from the senator asking him to carry the Philippine flag during his fight against Matthysse.
Since 2006, Leonardia has been carrying either the flag or the boxing champion’s belt that he held before Pacquiao’s fight inside the ring.
He said that “Manny, indeed, is a source of pride and unity. He is a national treasure.”
Leonardia pointed out that “the unprecedented presence of President Rody Duterte made it a “must-win” situation” for Pacquiao.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad also witnessed the boxing event.
The mayor also said that seconds before the fight, Pacquiao’s trainer Buboy Fernandez took the flag from him and gave it to the senator who kissed the national symbol.
“Fernandez also kissed it. It was a fight for our country,” Leonardia added.
Fernandez, Pacquiao’s childhood friend and original trainer, trained the Filipino ring icon from General Santos City for the fight against Matthysse.
In April this year, Pacquiao parted ways with famed trainer Freddie Roach, who mentored in 34 fights in a span of 15 years. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)