'Mexicutioner' Manny Pacquiao visits Mexico

To promote his upcoming world welterweight championship fight, Sarangani Rep. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao recently visited Mexico, the home of some of the world's best boxers whom the Philippine lawmaker has already defeated. For his numerous victories against Mexican boxers, Pacquiao was given the nickname "Mexicutioner." On November 12 this year, he is scheduled to fight against another Mexican boxer -- Juan Manuel Marquez. According to a news release of the Philippine Embassy in Mexico, Pacquiao thanked the Mexican people for their warm welcome. To the delight of his Mexican fans, Pacquiao said in Spanish he was sad that one of them -- either he or Marquez -- would lose on November 12 but "that is how things happen in life." The embassy said during a press conference on September 8 at the Plaza de la Revolucion in the center of the Mexican capital, the Mexican media also hailed Pacquiao as the "best boxer, pound for pound." Aside from Pacquiao, boxing promoter Bob Arum and coach Freddie Roach, and Ambassador-designate George Reyes were also present during the press conference. Reyes described Pacquiao as "the crown jewel of Philippine sports" and "a source of pride of the Filipino nation." Reyes told the Mexican media that in the Philippines, the crime rate drops significantly whenever Pacquiao has a fight because almost everyone is watching his fight on TV. Tourism Minister Alejandro Rojas, who was on hand to welcome Pacquiao, said, "May the better fighter win." After the press conference, the embassy said Pacquiao also visited the Mexico City Cathedral and the Chamber of Deputies. The congressman also met with members of the Filipino community at the Regis Hotel before flying back to New York in the United States on September 8. Marquez, 38, is a three-division world champion. He has eight world titles in three different boxing weight classes. Meanwhile, Pacquiao, 32, is an eight-division world champion and has 10 world titles. Pacquiao is the WBO Welterweight World Champion (Super Champion). He is also rated as the "number one" pound-for-pound best boxer in the world by most sporting news and boxing websites. - VVP, GMA News