Pacquiao new Alcano benefactor

The Azkals are so hot tickets to yesterday’s World Cup qualifier game against Sri Lanka were reportedly sold out two days after the ticket booths opened, according to a colleague in the broadcast media.
He said the television coverage of the Azkals’ match was such a huge marketing success that Studio 23 sold 53 minutes worth of spots.
In Colombo, fellow-columnist Ronnie Nathanielsz said Filipino fans flew in from Thailand, Malaysia and even Dubai just to cheer for the Azkals.
The next thing we have to look at are the TV ratings.
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Sometimes his last name is spelled O-r-c-o-l-l-o. Sometimes, it’s O-r-c-u-l-l-o.
Just the other day, the PSA Athlete of the Year’s last name was spelled differently in the nation’s two biggest broadsheets.
I’m sure Dennis’ manager, Perry Mariano, had told me it was Orcollo, but when I saw it spelled with a “u,” I started to doubt my hearing.
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Perry gave my eardrums a clean bill of health.
“It’s really Orcollo, but the Department of Foreign Affairs misspelled his name in his passport, causing the confusion. We had no time to correct the spelling, that’s why it became Orcullo,” said Perry, who blamed Orcollo’s loss to compatriot Ronnie Alcano in the 2011 World 9-Ball Championship in Doha to bad breaks.
“Malas sa bola. Alcano took five of the first six racks,” he said. “By the time Dennis started to rally, the score was already 10-9. Sayang, Dennis could have easily beaten the opponent from Japan in the championship.”
Alcano eventually lost to Yukio Akakariyama, 13-11.
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Actually, I also wanted to ask Perry about an item I came across on the Internet in which Alcano acknowledged Manny Pacquiao as his benefactor.
“Manny is very good. All I need is just a little bit of his good fortune and I can have the world championship,” Alcano said after beating Orcollo.
But it was not meant to be.
When Alcano was only starting to carve a name in billiards, I remember that Mariano was also his manager.
Now Alcano’s on his own “because he’s a difficult one to handle,” according to a billiards insider.
The insider said Alcano was lucky to receive financial assistance from Pacquiao.
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Ask any Filipino boxing aficionado to predict the result of the third segment of the Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez Trilogy in November and, without batting an eyelash, he’ll pick Pacquiao.
Only the manner of victory, or the round if the fight ends inside the distance, will vary.
Pacquiao and Marquez’s first two fights ended in a draw and split decision, respectively. How will it end in November considering that the last fight was more than two years ago in March 2008?
Here’s how a couple of boxing experts looked at it:
“Their last fight happened 14 pounds ago for Pacquiao,” said the first expert. “But Marquez being his ultimate kontrapelo, the Mexican may give the pound-for-pound king some very anxious moments in the first five rounds, although eventually Marquez will feel Pacquiao’s advantage in weight. I pick Pacquiao by KO between the fifth and eighth rounds.”
The other boxing authority was more specific: “Manny is too strong, too quick and too big for Marquez, who has slowed down and is easy to hit. Marquez is a warrior but I believe he won’t last more than six or seven rounds.”