CAN a big defeat inside the boxing ring be avenged in a separate venue like, say, the dazzling stage of a major international beauty contest?
Manny Pacquiao obviously thinks so.
In fact, Pacquiao has decided to dedicate his next fight to Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurztbach.
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In a report by veteran sportswriter Eddie Alinea, Pacquiao commended Wurztbach for the courage, composure and humility she displayed in winning the 2015 Miss Universe contest in Las Vegas.
“The grace and composure she displayed at the height of confusion and controversy round up a rare brand of courage we should all be proud of,” Pacquiao told reporter Alinea.
But what truly touched Pacquiao was that instance when Wurzhbach apologized to Miss Colombia who had been inadvertently announced as the pageant winner by the confused master of ceremonies.
Pacquiao said it was a rare brand of heroic humility handed down by our noble ancestors that Pia displayed after she personally apologized for the fiasco.
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Of course, the boxing superhero distinctly remembered how Wurztbach tried to appease her countrymen after Pacquiao lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a monumental battle in Las Vegas last May.
“When I lost to Mayweather, she made a promise that she would avenge that defeat—which she just did,” said Pacquiao. “Tinupad niya ang pangako niya.”
Pacquiao said it clearly showed how much Wurztbach cared for her country and countrymen.
Pacquiao said he would use Wurztbach’s heroic gesture as inspiration and additional motivation in his next fight—“Ipinangangako ko na iaalay ko sa kanya at sa ating bayan ang susunod kong laban.”
Long Live Miss Universe 2015!
Merry Christmas to you all gentle, gracious people.