By Norm Frauenheim-
History follows Manny Pacquiao. It’s a parade of titles, weight classes, money and mostly fans that has marched, Pied Piper-like, down through the decades.
Is it ending? It might be. The if has been attached to Pacquiao’s fight Saturday night against Yordenis Ugas at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena in a pay-per-view bout.
That if, in fact, is a bigger part of the fight than just about anything, including Ugas, a relatively unknown Cuban who is a late stand-in for Errol Spence, out with a torn retina.
That’s not fair to Ugas, a competent enough welterweight with perhaps a better chance at springing an upset than the betting odds suggest. But it’s hardly a surprise.
That if has transformed the fight into an event. To wit: Will Elvis be in the building for the last time?
The fact that Pacquiao is thinking about moving on is about as big a secret as his plans to run for President of the Philippines are. Front-and-center, it’s the story – the theme — leading up to the PPV card’s first bell (6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET, $74.95). It might be hard to sell Ugas. But a chance to see a legend answer the bell for the last time? Now, there’s a compelling sales pitch.
“It might be my last fight,’’ Pacquiao said, hinting at retirement all over again, during the final news conference Wednesday at the MGM Grand. “Or, there is more.’’
More, of course, could mean just about anything. More could mean a run for President. He has until early October to declare his candidacy. More could mean Spence or Terence Crawford. He mentioned both if and when he decides to continue his ring career.
But Spence or Crawford could also give his political rivals some red meat. Current Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has already said Pacquiao is “punch-drunk.’’ That suggestion might gain some real traction if Pacquiao were to fight Spence or Crawford, both of whom are more than just competent welterweights. They’re dangerous, especially against a man years past his physical prime and well into middle age.
In the here-and-now, the decision hinges in how the 42-year Filipino Senator performs Saturday. He’s favored, of course, by odds that are expected to grow — and grow some more — by opening bell. He was minus-360 Thursday, which means about a 73-percent chance at victory. That chance promises to multiply, driven by public sentiment. It’s a powerful factor, and all of it is in Pacquiao’s corner.
It’s an understatement to say that Pacquiao is beloved. To his fans, he’s Manny, the same Manny he was more than two decades ago. His fans have grown up with him. They’ll bet on him, if for no other reason than to have a betting slip as a souvenir for what might be his last fight.
For the politician in Pacquiao, that’s good news, a sign that he might get as much support at the polls as he does at the window.
Just a couple of days before opening bell, however, it’s not clear that the last-chance pitch has had much impact at the box-office. On Thursday, seats were still available throughout T-Mobile at prices that range from $211 to $1,292. The announcement a couple of weeks ago that Spence was out and Ugas in didn’t help. But there are other circumstances, including another surge in COVID.
Fans might not fill the building, but the guess here is that they’ll be there, in the pay-per-view audience to watch their Elvis for maybe the last time.
