Inside the rain, Pacman's fans stood to support their hero
While Manny Pacquiao was given a boxing
masterclass by Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas, over 7000 miles away in his home
country fans watched on in despair.
Pacquiao
is the national hero in the Philippines, proving how much one man can do,
bridging the gap between poverty and super-stardom with his fast hands and
devastating blows in what has been a phenomenal career.
But, on Saturday night it seemed to be just one step too far, taking on the best in the business in the undefeated Mayweather and losing on points in what was a unanimous decision.
But, on Saturday night it seemed to be just one step too far, taking on the best in the business in the undefeated Mayweather and losing on points in what was a unanimous decision.
A city park filled with fans that watched the fight on big screen television
And back in Manilla,
thousands of fans caught a glimpse of the fight any way they could, only to be
left disappointed.
The entire population
of Manny fans were asked by their government to switch off their refrigerators
before and during the fight to prevent an electrical black out across the
country.
Incredible pictures
show fans lining up 7384 miles away from the MGM Grand in the streets of the
capital in the Philippines, 15 hours ahead of Las Vegas with the time of the
fight coming at midday in the Asian nation.
Still though, fans
stuck by their man - who is on the board of the Philippine House of Representatives
- and many were posting 'you are still our champ' on Twitter.
Crime rates in the
country fall to near zero when Pacquiao fights according to police, while the
streets are deserted when it comes to traffic. But fans had to return to
normality after the bout, some of them heading straight back to work.
President Benigno Aquino thanked Pacquiao for inspiring his countrymen to strive for better lives.
'He fought for
respect, not points,' Edwin Lacierda, the president's spokesman, said. 'He won
the hearts of the world.'
Fans in despair as Pacquiao lost points to
Mayweather
While many fans
vehemently disagreed with the result, some agreed Mayweather had come out on
top.
'I am sad, let's
accept the decision,' said Isidro Santos, a shopping mall guard. 'Manny will
remain my idol, he lost to a better fighter, a clever boxer.'
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