Manny Pacquiao; Pacmania Hits San Antonio
 By Julian Kasdin (April 14, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © German Villasenor)
The brightest star in boxing right now might just be Manny ‘PacMan’ Pacquiao, 43-3-2 (34). A near deity in his native Philippines, the punishing Pinoy pugilist has torn through the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Oscar Larios, firmly cementing himself as one of the top fighters on the planet.
Now Manny, who has earned the love and admiration of his countrymen, and has consistently sold out in Las Vegas will bring Pacmania to San Antonio when he fights undefeated Jorge Solis, 32-0-2 (23). What is Pacmania? Pacmania is what happens when a fighter transcends the sport and becomes a national and now global celebrity. It is the energy he brings to the event, the crowds he draws, and the two-hundred people who flock to an airport terminal at 7:30 in the morning to see him. That is Pacmania.
Throughout the week open workouts, press conferences and finally the weigh-in will all lead to Saturday’s fight. Pacmania isn’t just the circus-like atmosphere the sheer electricity that energizes fans prior to the fight; it is that tingling feeling that almost 20,000 people will have as they wait for Manny to enter the ring. It is that heart beat that is skipped when the bell sounds, and the collective release of that deep breath as the first punch is thrown. That, my fellow Pounders, is Pacmania.
It is not just Manny; it is Ali or Sugar Ray Robinson, Mike Tyson or Oscar de la Hoya. It is when a boxer truly becomes a star, bigger than the sport, and the emotions that his greatness brings to the game. We have all felt it before, and we will all feel it again, and come tonight, April 14th, we will all be pulverized by Pacmania.
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