Manny Pacquiao Fight Day HQ

HOLLYWOOD, CA - Throngs of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s ardent aficionados went to the Manny Pacquiao Fight Day HQ at The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday, May 2nd, in celebration of the highly anticipated East vs. West battle. The main event later that evening’s Fight Card was between the Pilipino Fighter, who is deemed by many to be the Sweet Science’s mythical Pound-for-Pound King, and British Boxer Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, and it was a contest for Hatton’s Junior Welterweight World Title.

A lot of these Pacman supporters were in line, some since Friday afternoon, in anticipation of the launch of the Manny Pacquiao NIKE Flywire Air Trainer 1 Shoes. Only 200 of these specially designed Cross Training shoes were created, half of which were set aside for Manny’s camp. Of the remaining 100 pairs that were released to the general public, only 26 pairs were available at the Montalbán, while the rest were distributed between Niketown San Francisco and Las Vegas, UNDFTD Las Vegas, and Fatlace (San Francisco).

Exclusive Manny Pacquiao NIKE Flywire Air Trainer 1 Shoes

One of the fans in line, Mario from LA, (correctly) predicted that “it’s going to be a brutal fight, but Pacman looks to be in better condition, so he should come out on top”.

The inside of the Montalbán reverberated with the pulsing music of DJ Red & DJ Jay, while highlights of both Pacman & Hitman’s illustrious careers as well as other promotional videos for the impending showdown were shown on the big screen in the theater. Pacman gear and a multitude of other Nike products were on full display, and the shoppers were treated to free RSVP’s to the Live Screening of the Fight in the theater later on that evening.

Manny Pacquiao Gear to Benefit SIPA's Temple Youth Gateway Youth Sports League

A portion of the shirt proceeds will benefit Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA)'s Temple Youth Gateway Youth Sports League .

During the fight later that evening, Pacquiao did not disappoint his adoring public and wins convincingly. He does this by dominating Hatton in devastating fashion with his dazzling combination of speed, precision, and power. The Hitman could not cope with Pacman the Destroyer’s frenetic onslaught, and was unable to connect with anything of significance. Two first-round knockdowns set the tone for a quick night, and the critical blow came with a signature Pacquiao left hook in the dying moments of the second - which ended the fight at the 2:59 mark of the 2nd Round.

This win makes Pacquiao the only fighter in boxing history to claim recognized world championships in six different Weight Classes. The new Junior Welterweight (136 - 140 lbs) Champion has previously served as the true World Champion at Flyweight (108 to 112 lbs), Featherweight (122 to 126 lbs) and Junior Lightweight (126 to 130 lbs) while also having earned Alphabet Titles at Junior Featherweight (118 to 122 lbs) and Lightweight (130 to 135 lbs). This event marks Pacquiao’s fourth weight class in as many fights, in a span of just 14 months.

"I'm satisfied. I'm always trying my best to give more to the people," said Manny. "I can fight anybody. I leave that to my promoters. I'm just a fighter, and doing my job training and keeping my concentration on fighting. It's nothing personal; I just come to do my job."

Speaking like a true People’s Champ, the ever-gracious and down-to-earth Pacquiao, who is already a national hero in the Philippines, is fast earning more and more fans with each and every victory.

Afterwards, Manny invites all of his fans to his Foundation Benefit Show and After-Fight Celebration at the Conga Room in Los Angeles.

Related Posts:

Pacquiao Dominates Hatton in 2-Round Knockout
Manny Pacquiao Foundation Benefit Show and After-Fight Celebration

*Photos by  Raymond Valiente