The world champions who competed in the recent World Pool Masters had prepared a gift for the event’s special guest on the tournament’s opening day, Mexican boxing icon Juan Manuel Marquez.
JuanMa’s schedule was very tight that day, but he had made a commitment to pool organizers to drop by at The Block at SM North Edsa, the venue of one of the biggest international billiards events.
JuanMa was supposed to do the ceremonial break of the 6 p.m. game between Django Bustamante and Jason Klatt of Canada.
“El Dinamita,” a billiards enthusiast and owner of several pool parlors in Mexico, was eager to grace the event and meet the world’s greatest pool players.
But the boxing champion never showed up at the venue, disappointing Filipino boxing fans at the venue and the pool players.
Solar’s SVP for marketing Kayen Zialcita said JuanMa was too tired after the day’s activities he only wanted to rest.
That was easy to believe. Saturday was a hot, humid day, especially between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and that could severely drain one’s energy.
And JuanMa’s nerves might have been a bit frayed.
Pacquiao was late, as usual, for the Quirino Grandstand affair and he had to wait an hour before they could make an onstage appearance together.
I stared at the gift prepared by the cue artists. It was a cue stick autographed by the world’s best in billiards.
“I guess we will have to bring the gift to him,” said Kayen, who was supposed to join both JuanMa and Manny in an early-morning Mass at the Manila Cathedral the following day.
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JuanMa’s no-show at the pool venue and his excuse was acceptable.
However, a colleague told me, confidentially, that Top Rank Promotions boss Bob Arum had decided to charge organizers of the pool tournament an appearance fee at the last minute, which somehow struck a wrong chord.
Bottomline, JuanMa was told not to go, according to my colleague. In any case, thought I needed to verify this.
“Of course not!” Kayen said vehemently when asked for conformation.
“Who told that lie? JuanMa was just too tired to go anywhere that night. Mr Arum was not charging anything.”
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Defending champion Dennis Orcollo apologized to his kababayans after he failed to defend his WPM championship. He lost in the finals to Ralf Souquet of Germany on Monday night.
“Pasensya na, sumama ang laro ko (I’m sorry, my game faltered),” he said, admitting that his nerves got the better of him at some point. “It could happen to anybody.”
It was Souquet’s sixth WPM trophy and the victory in Manila was his first ever.
“Winning it in Manila makes it better,” said the 42 year-old pool veteran. “I’m happy and proud of myself.”
Orcollo will team up with Ronnie Alcano in the World Cup of Pool which followed the WPM yesterday.
Chinese Taipei has the edge in this tournament, according to Orcollo’s manager Perry Mariano, because the Taiwanese tandem is composed of brothers.