After ring win, Manny Pacquiao looks for knock-out victory in Philippine elections
Filipinos in cinemas, parks and army bases across the country burst into applause and shouts on Sunday as they watched boxing icon Manny Pacquiao floor American champion Timothy Bradley before regaining the WBO welterweight crown in Las Vegas.
After the ring victory, the 37-year-old former world boxing eight-division champion is looking for a knock-out win in next month's Philippine elections. Opinion polls showed him in 10th place for 12 vacant seats in the upper house of Congress.
"We are truly happy because our prayers that Manny will win were answered," James Morena, a 67-year-old retiree, told Reuters. "His chances of winning in the elections are higher because he regained his credibility and trust of the people."
Pacquiao did not disappoint his legion of fans watching the match in the Philippines, knocking down Bradley twice and dominating the fight as all three judges scored 116-100 in his favour.
"Manny Pacquiao has done the Filipino nation proud again by winning decisively against Timothy Bradley," Herminio Coloma, the president's spokesman, said in a statement.
He did not say if President Benigno Aquino watched the fight.
It was Pacquiao's first fight for nearly a year after his mega-fight loss to Floyd Mayweather and was supposed to be his final professional fight as the two-term sitting congressman promised to concentrate on politics and his family.
For Pacquiao, the welterweight showdown with Bradley was very important for his political career and boxing legacy as fans abroad and at home are showing reduced interest in the fight.
"It is very important to get the win for my country and the people in the Philippines, but the most important thing is a win for my country and a win for my legacy in boxing," he said before the fight, acknowledging that a victory would help him in the election.
He is running under the opposition coalition party.
In February, Pacquiao was at the centre of a controversy over a remark he made in an interview on Philippine TV. When the devout Christian was asked his view on same-sex marriage, he said gays are "worse than animals".
The Filipino southpaw later apologised on Twitter after the LGBT community worldwide reacted on his comments.
He lost a Nike sponsorship over the controversy and his retinue fended off a potential assault attempt outside a Los Angeles restaurant from someone enraged by his remark.