Golden tale from Macau madness

There was no great story from the boxing ring in Macau after the overhyped main event slipped into a theater of the absurd, an insane mismatch with crown aspirant Chris Algieri playing the pitiful floor mop who had to pick himself up a total of six times.
No word from Sylvester Stallone who was made to sell Algieri blind as the Real-Life Rocky.

Nothing whatsoever from master matchmaker Bob Arum who tricked the boxing public by packaging the gutless Algieri as a fearless warrior.

* * *

Of course, there were some heart-warmers away from the fight venue.

There was Dr. Rene Bonsubre of Cebu, chief ringside physician, going out of his way to provide room and solace to an ailing stray reporter from Manila.

There was the committed journalist Aquiles Zonio, a survivor of the Maguindanao Massacre, pitching in as Manny Pacquiao’s chief information officer.

No hint or sign of the much-expected knockout.

* * *

Until a few hours during Pacquiao’s thanksgiving Bible study inside his glamorous hotel suite.

Here’s a knockout of a golden tale, courtesy of philboxing.com. Kindly share the joy.

“Pacquiao’s near-death experience revealed.” By Tonton Alcos-Antogop:

Now it can be told. Were it not for a woman and her family, Manny Pacquiao would have not been what he is today.

He could have been dead, Pacquiao himself revealed, during the Bible study that followed hours after his victory against Chris Algieri…

“I’m proud to introduce to you, yung pamilya na tumulong sa akin nung nandoon ako dahil wala akong kamag-anak, ito sila (The family who helped me while I was there and I had no relatives, here they are),” Pacquiao told Team Pacquiao members and some guests, motioning his hand toward Corazon Florentino and her family …

The WBO welterweight champion narrated she had known Corazon when he was still starting his boxing career under the late Leopoldo “Polding” Correa in the 1990’s.

Pacquiao said his near-death experience happened when he got ill with typhoid fever and Corazon brought him to the MCU-FDT (Manila Central University-Filemon Tanchoco) Medical Foundation Hospital in Caloocan City, recalling it was also Corazon who shouldered his medical bills apart from literally taking care of him while on medication.

* * *

“Naiyak tuloy ako, nagkasakit ako, alam nyo, mamatay na ako, buto-buto na ako dahil na-typhoid fever ako, na-hospital ako, wala akong kamag-anak, sila ang tumulong sa akin (I could not help but cry, I was sick, you know, I could have died, I was frail because of typhoid fever, I was hospitalized. I had no relatives, they were the ones who helped me).

“Wala akong pagkain, dinadalhan ako, sila ang nagluluto … sila ang kumupkop sa akin, pati yung bill sa ospital gastos din nila, sila ang nagbayad (They brought me food, they cooked for me, they took care of me, they paid all the hospital bills),” Pacquiao said.

The Filipino boxing icon said that in whatever way he can, he is reciprocating the good deeds of Corazon and her family. This was the reason they were made part of Team Pacquiao in Macau.

* * *

Team Pacquiao, numbering some 300, was flown to Macau and back by sponsor AirAsia which assigned two Airbus A320s.

Asked how she met Pacquiao, Corazon, 54, said they were still living then in Malabon where Pacquiao became one of her suki (regulars) of her carenderia (eatery) and sari-sari store.

“He is good at paying, after he got his money he would pay right away, including those times when he won in his fight and got his purse,” Corazon told this writer.

She said she decided to bring Pacquiao to the hospital after she saw him sick, had a nose bleed while having a fever, which was later diagnosed as typhoid fever.

“Awang-awa ako sa kanya noon lalo nang makita ko na nagdurugo na ‘yung ilong niya at saka mahina na ang katawan, (I really pitied him especially when I saw that his nose was bleeding and he was  very frail),” Corazon said. “Mabait siya, tinuring na din naming kamag-anak. Naawa talaga kami sa kanya (He was nice, we treated him like he was our relative. We really pitied him),” she added

* * *

Their closeness continued when Pacquiao was released from MCU. In between boxing, Pacquiao would help them sell flowers at Baclaran Church and in other churches as far as Bulacan.

They parted ways for years when Pacquiao became world champion and got the surprise of their lives when Pacquiao reconnected with them even if they have transferred to Meycuayan.

The Florentinos now run a grocery store. They were complete as a family in Macau. Corazon was joined by her husband, Vener, 59, and their three children.