I’ve only been in a fist fight twice in my life. The first time was when I was in grade school when somebody bullied me. The second time was when I first enrolled in the gym and decided to try boxing, as it looks fun. I enjoyed it, true, but I couldn’t bear wearing those rented gloves. They smell awful and sometimes they’re even wet from the sweat of other users who used them before me. And since I still can’t afford to buy a new pair of gloves, I decided to try other things instead. So in short, those were the only close encounters I’ve had with the sport.
But, as they said, you need not be a boxer to appreciate boxing, especially if you’re (always) on the winning side 
.
Just like every Filipino, I am a fan of Manny. His rags to riches story is truly inspiring. His power punches help unite the entire nation once again and all his fights help ease traffic congestion in various cities all over the country. But this article isn’t about the technical aspect of his incoming fight with Miguel Cotto. I will leave that to those more capable of discussing it. This article is about the other entertaining aspect of the boxing fight – the singing of the national anthem.
During the pre-Manny era, the singing of the national anthem wasn’t that a big deal. Anybody can sing it; most of them weren’t even popular stars. But I think because we are so obsessed about this American Idol thing, things have started to change.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but right after every fight of Manny, there will always be somebody who’ll appear on TV commenting on how the national anthem was inappropriately sang. And the worst part is, almost every one agrees and even had an extra comment. It’s like every fight of Manny is a chance for all of us to play a Simon Cowell. We are just as excited to find out how well the singer sang the national anthem as we are excited to find out in what round will Manny’s opponent be knocked down.
So this coming 14th of November 2009 as Manny faces Miguel Cotto, La Diva will also face the verdict of the nation.
Good luck to all of you. You nö! (know).
