'Physical: Asia' stars Justin Coveney, Eloni Vunakece recall surprise meeting with Manny Pacquiao

“Physical: Asia” stars Justin Coveney and Eloni Vunakece recalled their surprise meeting with fellow cast member and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. 

According to Justin, the team only received the official roster a day before their flight to South Korea and initially did not realize that the Manny Pacquiao listed was the Boxing Champ.

“We thought it was a son or a Pacquiao but not actually Manny himself,” Coveney shared to GMA News Online. “It wasn’t until we clicked on his Instagram link and went, ‘holy s***, that’s Manny Pacquiao.’”

Justin said Pacquiao’s presence quickly became clear once the team arrived at the venue. There was no heavy security in the arena, and Manny interacted freely with his fellow athletes. 

“I like to say that we got the Manny that Jinkee would see. The Manny that was open and humble. When Manny's in public, I completely get that he's well-protected and he has a whole crew of people protecting his interests,” Justin said. 

“But in the arena, it's just Manny. And he is the legend himself. He is very humble. He's very kind. He is so supportive of other athletes and wanted to continue to give really good advice,” he added.

Justin also shared the simple advice Pacquiao gave to the Philippine Team: "Eat lots of bananas because the potassium will help you recover."

"And it’s just the belief in yourself. You can achieve anything. It doesn’t matter where you’re from.”

Meanwhile, Eloni from Team Australia said Pacquiao’s inclusion in the show was also a shock to him and others.

“Justin said to us, 'Do you know who the sixth member of our team is?' When he said the Philippines, I was like, I'm just gonna go real left field here and go the biggest guy on earth from the Philippines. I said, is it Manny?” Eloni narrated.

"And he just looked at me, slowly nodded. I was like, 'no way'," he recalled. 

Eloni said the realization highlighted the scale of the event and Pacquiao’s global status.

“It’s like universal,” he said. “That level.”

When Eloni and his teammates encountered Pacquiao at their hotel, walking alone, "The world stopped for a moment."

"It was like God had gotten himself and just wandered through the room," he said.

For Eloni, meeting Pacquiao is like meeting Mike Tyson.

"I met Mike Tyson before — it's on that same level. It's like, he's a one of one and a generational athlete," he said.

"It's cool to get to rub shoulders with him in such a cool arena."

Pacquiao originally led the Philippine team in “Physical Asia” but had to pull out early due to another obligation. He was replaced by Hernandez.

“Physical: Asia” is a reality show from the Physical: 100 franchise. It is a team competition featuring top-tier athletes representing their respective countries.

A two-time SEA Games gold medalist, Justin is part of the Philippine Rugby Team and a pioneer on the World Sevens stage. 

Nicknamed “The Flying Jeepney,” he also played professionally in Japan for eight years. In “Physical: Asia,” Justin was part of the Philippine team alongside Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, Eloni is a former Fiji international who competed in both rugby league and union, representing his country at multiple World Cups and playing professionally in the National Rugby League and France’s Pro D2. 

He is a member of Team Australia on “Physical: Asia.”

The Rugby Brothers are currently in the Philippines. They held an intimate meet-and-greet in Bonifacio Global City on Tuesday. — LA, GMA Integrated News