Superstar Manny Pacquiao was almost the victim of as physical assault yesterday in Hollywood, California as he enjoyed a luncheon at a Japanese restaurant. According to reports in Philippine media outlets, Pacquiao was attacked in the parking lot of the establishment as he was getting into his Ferrari. An assailant, a white male, threw a punch at Manny and shouted foul language at him.
According to Pacquiao’s personnel assistant, David Sisson, “the guy was fast and he almost got Manny.” Pacquiao instructed his team to let the guy go and did not call the police. However, Pacquiaio’s security is almost certain to be increased as his third fight with Tim Bradley approaches, set for this Saturday as it is in Las Vegas.
It’s not yet clear what the man’s motives were for trying to hit the eight-weight world champion, but it is certainly highly likely to have been over Pacquiao’s recent and hugely controversial comments about same sex marriage – comments Pacquiao says were taken out of context. Pacquiao, of course, is also a highly influential politician, and maybe the attacker’s motives were of a political nature. It really does not bear thinking about what might have happened had the assailant been armed with a gun yesterday.
Over the years, we’ve seen too many celebrities and politicians killed by crazed individuals (or by far more sinister conspiracies, depending on your view) – and it now seems famous boxers and also at risk. Getting back to the boxing, and it’s not too likely Pac-Man will be overly fazed by the attack, not enough to let it affect his ring performance at the weekend. But Pacquiao may be somewhat upset to see how his huge global popularity has diminished somewhat due to his recent comments.
Once a beloved figure (Manny remains so in many quarters of course), the Pacquiao of a couple of years ago would never have been the victim of such an attack. Heck, even the “hated” Floyd Mayweather Junior has never been publicly attacked.