Cheer for the Little Guy

I think HBO has wisely made use of their show "24/7" in documenting the lives of prominent boxers as they prepare for matches that are usually expected to draw big crowds for the Pay Per View broadcasts. At this time last year it was the Mayweather-De La Hoya match; then it was the Mayweather-Hatton match and now it was the Pacquiao-De La Hoya match. In building up the rivalry that had been there the show not only managed to hype up the fight but show a side of boxers that not many people realize. It's easy to forget that not all boxers are punchy and slow-witted due to blows to the head. In fact if De La Hoya and Philippino powerhouse Manny Pacquiao are any benchmarks, they are tireless and giving in their lives as well.

Now I'm not an avid boxing fan but I do like to see fights and I do enjoy the documentaries like "24/7" which give viewers a great deal of insight into the preparation for a fight. It's not exactly like "Rocky" where the scenes before a fight are fully of soaring music and happy moments that lead to triumph but they are even more in depth. It shows the amount of preparation that some of these fighters go through and how it affects their friends and families. It puts a face on the boxers and humanizes them a bit which is good because it's quite easy to dismiss many of them as brutes who punch hard. Not so with these two fighters in particular.

For a number of years, Oscar De La Hoya was considered to be one of the top boxers in the Middleweight division and he lived up to his reputation. But as age and newere fighters caught up to him it was difficult for him to keep pace. And now it seems as though his time at the top is coming to an end. After losing a remarkably one-sided fight to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year and losing again to Pacquiao this weekend it appears that De La Hoya will likely hang up his gloves and continue sponsoring and promoting fights rather than lacing up the gloves himself. He's done tremendous work in keeping interest in boxing alive and it's in large part due to him that the sport is still drawing in big crowds despite dwindling interest.

That's not to diminish the draw of Manny Pacquiao. In watching some episodes of "24/7" I came to understand just how big a deal he is to his countrymen in the Phillipines. He is considered among the greatest of national heroes and deservedly so. From the earnings at some of his past fights, Pacquiao donated food and money to many of his countrymen as a means of sharing in his success. He has created foundations and organizations meant to educate and help the poorer portions of his native country and he continues to do so after every fight. He's considered one of the top fighters in the division now and it only appears that he will continue his rise.

While we should definitely applaud his talent and his skill as a boxer, I think it's only right that we celebrate his achievements as a humanitarian also. So often we see sports stars selfishly spending or enjoying their rewards on themselves with token support to the community. Not all but some. But it's refreshing to see someone like Manny Pacquiao who does it not just because it's good for his image but because he genuinely wants to give back to his native country in the way that it has helped him. His victory over De La Hoya is considered a big one since it now elevates him in the eyes of many as a boxer who will definitely be reaching the heights of the sport. But he's already reached higher heights in the lives of many others.