Pacquiao the dragon vs. dog-loving underdog

SAN FRANCISCO—Manny Pacquiao says Bruce Lee is his idol. So it’s good to note that the last time Bruce Lee battled it out with a black guy, he won convincingly against a bigger, seemingly more formidable opponent.

But then again, that’s in the movies.

In real life, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had no chance against the martial arts superstar. In fact, in real life, they were actually good friends.

And Jabbar is hardly the bad guy portrayed in ‘Game of Death.’ He’s the basketball great with the deadly sky hook, and he continues to be respected for work in the African American community.

And this pretty much echoes the situation Manny Pacquiao and his fans face as the Pacman gears up for his fight with Sugar Shane Mosley on Saturday.

Mosley is simply one tough opponent to root against, even as he goes up against a Filipino hero.

Take his recent interview on ESPN. Asked how he feels about being the underdog in the fight, about going into a fight “when no one is on your side.” Mosley just smiles and says, “All that matters is I believe in myself.”

On reports that even President Obama is for Pacquiao? “It’s fine. I definitely support President Obama.”

And how about all the laughing at the press conference with the Pacman. “What was going on? He was laughing at you? He wasn’t taking you seriously?” the host asks.

Mosley could have given that a nasty spin to make the fight more interesting. But nah – he wouldn’t go there. Mosley says of Pacquiao, “No, he doesn’t like the stare down too much. … We know each other. … It just didn’t work for him. ”

Then there’s this video. It does show Mosley in the ring, flexing his muscles, talking tough. “I’m a boxer and I fight for a living,” he says.

But the tough talk ends there. It’s actually a message for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA—against dog fighting.

“My opponent and I know that when we step into the ring we choose to be there and if we don’t come out on top, we can at least walk away,” he continues. “Dog fighting isn’t like that—dogs don’t have a choice. … Dog fighting is dirty. It’s cruel and it’s a loser’s game.”

That even means that Mosley and Pacquiao have more in common than being in a sport in which they’re expected to bash each other’s face.

For the Pacman also loves dogs. Heck, he once ran away from home and learned to be tough because of a dog.

As his trainer Freddy Roach told the U.K. Telegraph, “Manny ran away from home after his father ate his dog, and he lived on the street, where he bought doughnuts at a doughnut store and then sold each one for a nickel more to survive. He slept in a cardboard box. He fought his way through all this, turned pro at 14, and look at the man he is today.”

Nowadays, though, you can be sure that Pacquiao will not let anyone turn his dog into pulutan. His Jack Russell Terrier, named Pacman, is now the most famous Pinoy dog in the world. The funny thing is you can also expect Mosley to make sure that nothing happens to little Pacman. And if the Pacman had other pets, Mosley would probably try to protect them, too.

For Mosley is not just a dog-loving underdog. He even feels strongly about seals.

There he is on a PETA poster wearing a T-shirt with a drawing of a seal with a sad look on its face. The poster says, “Each year how tens of thousands of seals, many of whom are still babies, are massacred.”

So here’s a fighter who once beat the heck out of Oscar De La Hoya and is hoping to shock the world by defeating the world’s best boxer—and he’s also worried about defenseless animals.

But maybe there can be Hollywood-style movie ending in this upcoming encounter.

Maybe after Pacquiao beats Mosley—sure, that’s also the outcome I’m hoping for—they can make a buddy movie. Perhaps a remake of ‘Enter the Dragon,’ in which the Pacman plays Bruce Lee, of course, and Mosley can be the John Saxon character, and they join forces to take down an evil drug lord.

And maybe Congressman Pacquiao can learn an important lesson from Mosley: That one can take on important causes, and make a difference in the world, without plunging into the dirty, disgusting world of traditional politics.

That the ‘Way of the Dragon’ doesn’t have to be the ‘Way of the Trapo.’

Copyright 2011 by Benjamin Pimentel. On Twitter @KuwentoPimentel.