In Response to John Benz: Below the Belt: Uncalled for Hard Punch

John Benz wrote two articles entitled:

1. Ricky Hatton Fans love Boxing... but do Manny Pacquiao Fans Love the Sport?

2. Doggy Bag: Do Manny Pacquiao Fans Love the Sport of Boxing? Reader Reacts

In these articles, he bashed Filipino fans in general as well as Filipino media in his effort to downplay Pacquiao achievements and at the same malign the Filipino boxing fans who only supports and defend their hero Manny Pacquiao from relentless attack from this writer.

One can easily ignore his tirades but there so much racial discrimination painted all over it. To straight things out, these are my views to your UNCALLED for 'BELOW THE BELT' opinions (in Bold Italics) Mr. Benz.

"A huge part of Manny Pacquiao's popularity is the media. The Filipino media especially. They write about everything on Pacquiao. From a gas station that he bought, to his political ambitions, to the baptismal of his child.

Yeah, I am sick of it. I am sick of the love fest..... I am no longer enjoying the media coverage he gets. Its outrageous and lame.

They only love Manny Pacquiao, not Boxing... There are plenty of great boxers fighting out of the Philippines right now... but you'd hardly notice... because your media gives them next to nothing in coverage. The only time they get coverage is if they say something about Manny Pacquiao. Y

our media doesn't cover boxing...it covers Manny Pacquiao. And again, why does it do this? Because it knows that is what the readers of your nation want. They don't want to read about Boxing and other stars...they just want to read about Pacquiao.

Those aren't real boxing fans and they aren't good for boxing... they are just good for Pacquiao. Because of their obsession strictly for Pacquiao and nothing else, the sport suffers. Other boxers from your nation are over looked.

But hey, I am willing to bet the moment they get super famous in America...your People will jump on their bandwagon as well. And once again we will be treated to Garbage media coverage that is catered only to the fanatical nutt-hugger."

It is only natural when a person becomes popular, everybody wants to write something about him. Someone earns FOR A LIVING by writing something about him because someone is BUYING whatever is written. JUST LIKE YOU who earns your living by trying to write something about ANYTHING.

However in your case, you are trying to earn more by putting some people down. You are trying to flame Filipinos in order to create situation that only you and your kind can benefit.

During Hatton-Malinaggi bout, it generated more than 2,000 news coverage compared to almost 800 when Pacquiao won over Dela Hoya, nobody ever complained.

British media is likewise getting crazy about Hatton at this point in time. BUT to attack Filipino Pacfans because he is receiving extra news mileage is another matter. Media is not solely for Hatton's alone.

IF you don’t want to read anything about Pacquiao nor Filipino People then DON’T READ. Stick yourself to Hatton’s site.

“Hatton fans are Boxing fans. Yes, there is a huge difference. The Filipino people have nothing in the way of international Super Stars. I know of no other famous Filipino other than Pacquiao.

So it seems natural the Filipino people would fall in love with Pacquiao. But Hatton fans have tons of Super Stars in the UK to follow. Stars that are famous the world over.

So it's not like they follow Hatton because they have no other international Super Star. They follow Hatton because they actually follow and love the sport boxing.”

You may not know other famous Filipino other than Pacquiao because of your ignorance. Don’t blame it on media by not writing so much to keep you informed.

The love for the boxing sports and the love for the person 'ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS'. Don’t ever try to intermix it.

If YOU love the sports, so be it, BUT don’t put other people down because they love the person. RESPECT other people’s inclination.

There’s so much hatred that had been going on because of insensitive people like you.

"Manny Pacquiao was a big nobody until American's discovered him. The Average Filipino fan only jumped on the wagon long after American fans had embraced him first.

I first saw him on the undercard of Lewis vs Tyson (and many here in the USA saw him before that) ... and barely anyone outside of being a true boxing fan in your Country even know who Pacquiao was at that point.

It wasn't until the ball got rolling in America did Pacquiao's fame in his home Country started to become apparent. I take offense when guys like you claim your Nation made him 100% to the top... if anything, that credit goes to Americans, not Filipinos."

True. Manny Pacquiao is a big nobody until he defeated Ledwaba in America, just like thousand of other boxers elsewhere [until he wins BIG].

But it is your IGNORANCE to think that PAC is not known in the Philippines before going BIG in the US. Manny is not Donaire who started his career in the US. He (Manny) had made his name known in Philippines and Asia before going to America.

YOU discovered him just almost at the same time with the casual and non-boxing fans around the world. Boxing Fans and Purist in the Philippines knew Pacman years ahead than you, even before the Lewis–Tyson fight.

It dates back even before PAC captured the WBC Flyweight belt.

You accuse every average Filipino jumped into Manny’s bandwagon but LITERALLY every boxer craves to have his name known even by NON-BOXING FANS to be on TOP and become a household name and increasing his worth in prizefights.

And that’s what should every Filipino give Manny to show support.

BTW, who do you want the Filipino non-boxing fans to root for? Your Hatton? Foolish!!!

More importantly, credit don’t belong to the Americans nor Filipinos. IT IS SOLELY ON PACMAN’S GREATNESS. HE WILL NOT BE KNOWN IF NOT FOR HIMSELF. But surely, Manny is grateful for the chance America gave him to prove his worth globally.

"I also wonder if Pacquiao fans in the Philippines even pay that much to watch Pacquiao fight. While the rest of us here in America and the UK have to pay outrageous prices for PPV.

I wonder how much the people in the Philippines have to pay? I wonder all this because I have to wonder if the Filipino fan is paying his way like the rest of us?

So should we give your cars if you can't afford one? And I guess we should sell you our computers at below market value also? Why on earth would you dwell over one paragraph in which I wondered how much you guys pay?"

This proved how DISCRIMINATORY you are, to think you alone and your kind can afford PPV just because you think are richer. This also shows how IGNORANT you are. Filipinos don’t only resides in Philippines, millions and millions are also living outside it.

More so, not all Filipinos are poor, much more, not all people are rich in UK or America. Don’t try to tell me, Mr. Benz, you are that rich to be able to insult people.

Don’t INSULT people just because you think you are born British or American and have the right to do so. That’s RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.

"I directed my comments at Pacquiao Nutt-huggers (for lack of a better term)."

Why? Are there differences with real boxing fans, pacfans, or pac-nutthuggers. Are you trying to tell us that you’re far better because you support more than one boxer compared to those who only support one boxer and that’s Pacquiao?

You’re just trying to overrate yourself. THERE’S NO REALLY big difference between a person who just learned boxing last week from a person who have eaten gloves for the last 30 years.

Both generates interest for the boxing sports you love and IT IS THE LIKES OF YOU THAT DESTROYS IT BY ALIENATING NEW BLOOD TO THE SPORTS.

“I am just sick and tired of the Pacquiao fanatics. They seem more nuts than actual fans of Boxing. For those of you who read my articles, you know I like Pacquiao.

You know I support him...but that's because I support boxing. I am a fan of Boxing, the whole sport and not just one Boxer.”

Don’t hide yourself behind “REAL Boxing Fans” as if your kind OWNS BOXING. Besides, Pacquiao is no longer that simple obscured boxer. He’s way past than that. He’s now known and supported by all kinds of people, from Asia to America, from genius to idiots, from fanatics to uninterested.

You can’t take away what others want to do with their time. In fact, not all will care about your passion in boxing. Every people have their own agenda.

As I said, if you are a boxing fan and support boxing, so be it. BUT you are not above than those who support only ONE Boxer. Excellence is not measured by how many boxers you support.

IT IS NOT RIGHT TO INSULT HIS FILIPINO FANS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE ROOTING FOR THEIR HERO.

I guess you understand that, by doing so, you’ll get the same treatment.