Manny Pacquiao dismantles Brandon Rios in Macau as Tacloban fans cheer
Has the Pride of the Philippines lost it?
Not at all most boxing experts would say after the pounding Manny Pacquiao gave Brandon Rios last night in Macau, China, which has prompted more chatter about a future fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
In his first fight in a year, Pacquiao pummeled Rios in a fight he dedicated to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), easily receiving scores 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 from the judges at The Venetian casino in Macau.
“This isn’t about my comeback,” Pacquiao said. “My victory is a symbol of my people’s comeback from a disaster, a national tragedy.”
“I just got beat by one of the best fighters in the world,” Rios said in tribute. “He came with a game plan. He executed it and won the fight. He’s very fast and has a lot of different angles. He’s difficult to box against”, Yahoo Sports reports.
Pacquiao also brought some much needed joy to the people in Tacloban City, Leyte, who received the brunt of the damage from Typhoon Yolanda two weeks ago.
The Christian Science Monitor reports that cable operators on Saturday set up TV screens inside a sports stadium, near a church and in other landmarks in the devastated region to broadcast Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s comeback fight.
“He brought joy to the Filipinos especially during this time of crisis,” army chief Lieutenant General Noel Coballes said after the victory.
The last time Pacquiao stepped in the ring, he was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez about a year ago.
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