MANNY PACQUIAO ~ SPECIAL BLOG ~ Filipinos celebrate boxer Pacquiao’s victory

Well, I knew the Pacman was going to be able to do this and even though I didn’t get to see the fight…I was very confident that he was going to win.. HANDS DOWN!  I had a few friends rooting for Cotto, of course, I would too if I was from Puerto Rico – but… the PACMAN has proven that he is THE MAN!!!  He has accomplished something that no one has done and I am PROUD to say a FILIPINO did it!!!!! HOOOOOOOOOOooraHHHHHHHHHH!!!  😀 Found the story from NewsDay.com – see story below By JOSH SEIDMAN

MANNY vs COTTO

When he landed a left jab, the fans punched the air in front of them. When he took a blow to the ribs, they cringed in their chairs. And when his combinations brought his opponent to the mat, they erupted with thunderous applause.

“Manny! Manny! Manny!”

“We all have one thing in common,” said Tony Enriquez, 51, who hosted a viewing party of the pay-per-view boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto at his home in Centereach on Saturday night. “We take pride in Manny and pride in our heritage. For 36 minutes we’re united as a country.”

More than 30 Filipino Americans joined together in Enriquez’s basement to watch their countryman, Pacquiao, use his lightning hand speed to solidify his name in boxing history. By pummeling Cotto throughout the match and forcing a 12-round stoppage, Pacquiao earned the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt and became the only boxer ever to win a world title in seven different weight classes.

“This win means that he is one of the greatest of all-time,” said Renato Compas, an engineer from Holbrook who has been watching Pacquiao compete since his debut in 1995. “What [Michael] Jordan is in America, Manny has become in the Philippines.”

Enriquez and his guests have been attending viewing parties of Pacquiao’s matches since his initial bout with Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004, Enriquez said. The pride and enthusiasm is always at a high level, he said.

“It’s always a party,” said Enriquez, who moved to the United States from the Philippines in 1985. “Some like to dance. Some like to eat. But, when the fight starts, we get into the serious business.”

From Michael Buffer‘s “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” through the post-match interview with Pacquiao, Enriquez’s guests remained transfixed on the screen. In the match’s first crucial moment, which came in the third round, Pacquiao’s punches knocked Cotto to the mat. As the referee signaled for the match to continue, the guests urged Pacquiao to finish the champion off.

“Come on Manny! Take him down!”

“We want the big one!”

It was only moments before Pacquiao satisfied them with another knockdown of Cotto in the fourth round. As the rounds marched on, and the probability of Pacquiao’s victory was becoming more certain, the guests began counting down the final 10 seconds of each round, waiting anxiously to share in his triumph.

“Not everyone knows boxing or the strategy involved,” Enriquez said. “They watch because it’s entertaining and they know what he represents.”

Finally, 55 seconds into the final round, the celebration began in earnest. Hugs and high-fives filled the room and Enriquez threw seven fingers into the air to signify Pacquiao’s new record. Behind it all, in back corner of the room, a miniature version of the Philippines national flag stood proud.