We are all witnesses

Not to the growing greatness of Cleveland turncoat LeBron James, but of our very own General Santos-native and Saranggani representative Manny Pacquiao who is minutes (depending on the outcome of the recent locker room spat between his party and Margarito re: the Mexican's goatee and Pacquiao's handwraps-- of all things!) away from trying to capture his 8th World title in as many divisions.

I wasn't able to catch Pacquiao's early fights, only the ones that were shown on the now defunct VTV- Vintage Network aired on IBC 13. Back then, Pacquiao looked like your everyday karpintero, straight out of the provinces and just looking to earn a big paycheck. He won a title, only to lose it to one of the many 3k Batteries in Thailand (he was stripped for being unable to make weight, and lost the fight being dehydrated and clearly dejected of it all).

There was even a time wherein he was featured in ABS-CBN's Sports Unlimited show, jogging alongside then PBA newcomer, a very young, beach-blonde-dyed Asi Taulava. No one expected Pacquiao to make it this big, even when he first broke into the US boxing scene under that insane, crooked tooth promoter whose name escapes me and isn't worth mentioning at all.

Everything changed once Pacquiao hooked up with Top Rank's Bob Arum, and trainer Freddie Roach. Arum took care of the negotiating with big named Mexican fighters, while Roach took on Pacquiao's rugged, FPJ-style and developed him (which wasn't easy) into a two-handed fighter.

There were losses (Morales) and draws (Marquez), but Pacquiao remained unfazed and his camp kept on building on his image as an electric southpaw from the Philippines. An Energizer bunny who just keeps on throwing punches left and right, while, like Jordan in his early days, would pivot left and right to dodge his opponents.

How long before Pacquiao calls it quits? Maybe not that long.

He's been boxing for 15 years and has now more earnings than any Filipino presumably not named Tan, Araneta, Ayala, Sy or whichever traditional mogul is out there. He was able to secure a seat in congress where he has shown competent and devoted enough (to go through a crash course with some of the industry's best) regardless of the people he is constantly affiliated with.

So if this is the second or third to the last fight of the greatest Filipino boxer ever (yes, I'll even include the Great Flash Elorde in that discussion), then I was very happy to have been here to see it. Win, lose or draw, if he suddenly runs for the Presidency and ruins this country, I'd still die a happy boxing fan.