Manny Pacquiao is an immortal figure in his native Philippines. A fighter, a senator, and a man of the people. But does the crime rate drop to zero percent when one of his bouts goes live?
World Boxing News decided to fact-check a statement that has come to the fore many times.
In 2008, it got reported that the Philippines was temporarily a crime-free country during the fight between Manny and Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.
An outcome believed to be because all the police and criminals were in unison watching the drama unfold.
But with a population of around 95 million back then, it’s implausible that there would be absolutely no crime during this time.
What you could say is that the Philippines becomes the quietest place on Earth for those 36 minutes during a Manny Pacquiao fight that goes the distance. However, anything else is unprovable.
During other Pacquiao fights, this has also been the case, but only in certain areas. For example, in Metro Manila for the David Diaz clash, it got reported that no crimes got called in for over five hours.
Great for the city, but again not covering the entire country, only one and a half percent, to be exact. The same happened against Marco Antonio Barrera [seven hours] and Erik Morales [six hours].
Pickpocketing, armed robberies, and other everyday misdemeanors lowered to almost nothing. So basically, the nation as a whole certainly stands still.
Although when it comes to a factual statement, it remains untrue.
Pacquiao is an ambassador for his people. A man loved so much he’s likely to be President one day. How many fighters can say that?
Sadly, and debunking the myth, crimes are still happening somewhere in the country – even when the first bell rings for Pacquiao to trade blows. But that has to be said. It’s a minute proportion to usual crime rates around the world.
Another reason for the low rate is the time the events go live. When Pacquiao fight cards get underway, it’s still morning time in the Philippines. As a result, crime rates don’t rise until nighttime.
MANNY PACQUIAO LEGEND
But regardless of who he fights, it’s a remarkable feat that Pacquiao drives down the numbers so significantly.
Back in the 1970s, Muhammad Ali had the same effect. Great company for Manny Pacquiao to get involved in for all his achievements.
Roads would be empty, and bars would get packed when either boxing legend took center stage.
In a nutshell, anybody knows that you can never cover a baseline of 95 million, which has now risen to over 100 million today. It’s impossible to do so.
Despite the obviousness of it, the fact remains a great one to put in play when the Senator laces up the gloves as he will when he faces Errol Spence in Las Vegas on August 21st.
Pacquiao’s effect on his fellow Filipino’s is undeniable, though.
