Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao bested American Adrien “AB” Broner at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada yesterday. But while the Pacman is obviously happy about keeping his WBA welterweight title, Filipinos aren’t as crazed about it as they used to be.
This indifference, relative to Pacquiao’s previous fights, was hilariously captured in a now-viral comic posted by Facebook page Sskait yesterday.
“I miss the thrill and excitement before vs now. I dunno.. maybe because of time? [P]olitics? Congrats to Pacquiao tho! Made the [F]ilipinos proud,” the post’s caption reads.
https://www.facebook.com/sskait/photos/a.1750929368567699/2234462110214420/?type=3&theater
The comic is styled like the viral 10-year challenge and compares a guy excitedly watching a Pacquiao fight with his mom in 2009 and them not caring much about it at all in 2019.
The post had close to 5,000 reactions and almost 2,000 shares on Facebook as of this article’s posting.
Aj Bacar, the 25-year-old artist behind the illustration said that the comic was inspired by true events.
“[I] based it from the convo [I] had with my mom,” he said.
Bacar shared that most of the comics he posts online are based on current events and that he usually gets ideas from random discussion with friends and colleagues or from personal life experiences.
“The experience of a Pacquiao fight now just felt different for me, and probably from other people [too]. I just thought of voicing out what [I] felt and shared it to people,” he said.
During the peak of Pacquiao’s career, police would regularly report that there was a zero crime rate while his fight was ongoing, presumably because people were glued to their TV screens.
Bacar is not exactly sure why he doesn’t care much anymore but commenters shared their thoughts on the new reality.
“I remember the time when I would buy his Nike t-shirt for almost all his fights,” Facebook user Jesus Patrick Nieves wrote in Filipino.
Joy Pagayona said that he had no idea Pacquiao had a fight at all.
Many of those who commented on the comic said that they stopped supporting Pacquiao after he entered politics.
Facebook user Luigi Lacsina said: “Definitely politics. I stopped supporting him after he ran.”
Pacquiao has been a Philippine senator since 2016. Before this, he was was a congressperson for Sarangani province.
Josiah Quising, on the other hand, slammed Pacquiao for supporting the death penalty and the administration’s war on drugs.
Pacquiao has consistently been criticized for being in favor of reimposing the death penalty and for supporting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The boxer has also been slammed for his extremely conservative views. In 2016, he infamously said that gay people are “worse than animals,” pushing brands like Nike to withdraw their sponsorships.
He has also used bible quotes to support his arguments in the Senate.
John Malong MK II commented: “His previous preaches and activities in senate haunts me and gives me nightmares.”
Other commenters simply lost trust in the once well-loved national icon.
“I stopped after he kept on saying he’ll retire but he still does not,” Andrea Beatrize Santos said.
Cedz Candelario asked, “Does Pacman still fight for the Philippines or just to earn?”
Thadds Lopez said people started losing interest after Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015.
However, some commenters also said that they were still very much interested in the fight.
“For casual fans, yes. But for the real fan of the sports (sic) Pacquiao would turn 45 and we would still watch him fight. Just like how D-Wade keeps getting all-star votes even if he’s past his prime.
“All the big names who watched the fight live is big proof that Pacquiao is still a big deal. Only a hateful Filipino would say otherwise,” Ephraim Ugarte wrote.
Think people will get excited again if that rumored fight with Mayweather pushes through?
JOJO CASTILLO says
hello coconut, I tried to figure out your opinion about the recent fight of Manny Pacquaio. We were thinking the same. However, this is not his fault. He got a name, became fame and can still attract people at his age. and then business or money is still there. In my opinion, you need also to include the other side of story in your column. thank you.