THIS ONE IS FOR ROD

Manny Pacquiao has an added motivation when he takes on World Boxing Organization(WBO) welterweight kingpin Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas two months from now.
Days before he passed away, former manager and promoter Rod Nazario had one final piece of advice to his one time protegee, admonishing the 30-year-old champ to knock Cotto down with his powerful left hand.
And since the man responsible for Pacquiao's breakthrough stint in the U.S was the one who asked foe it, the Filipino ring idol will readily oblige.
" Alam mo namang pag si dolfo ang humiling kay Manny, hindi tumatanggi yon," Moy Lainez, the long-time associate of Nazario, told PJ over the phone hours after the 74-year old veteran bxing promoter died Thursday morning due to lung cancer.
"Bag umakyat si Manny sa Baguio, nagbilin na siya (Nazario). Yung isang usapan nila tungkol sa laban niya nga kay cotto. Sabi niya tandaan mo, yung kaliwa mo ang siyang magnaknockout kay Cotto," Lainez recalled Nazario telling the champ.
Nazario's death came four days after Pacquiao entered training camp at the country's Summer Capital. A somber atmosphere shrouded Pacquiao's training Thursday at the Shape Up gym at the Cooyesan Hotel along Naguilan Road as Nazario had been like a second father to the world's top pound-for-pound fighter, according to Lainez.
In a statement, the 30-year old pride of Genera Santos City said he was deeply saddened by the loss of his former handler.
"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Nazario, who was not only a loving father and husband, but a great loss to me and the sport o boxing. I will forever cherish our fondest memories in and outside the ring. We will terribly miss him," said the Pacman.
Gerry Garcia, another close friend of Nazario and partner in the top rating boxing show In This Corner also with Lainez and Mondejar, said Pacquiao is likely to take a break in training and pay his last respect to the late boxing manager by sunday.
A day upon arriving from his whirlwind press tour for the Nov.14 title fight with the 28-year old Cotto, Pacquiao visited the Wild Card Gym in Paranaque, where he sweated it out for about an hour,before proceeding to the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Pinas to check to check the condition of Nazario who had been confined there shortly after celebrating his 74th birthday last Sept. 12.
The following day, the boxing star visited his former manager once again prior to his trip to Baguio City.
It was there when Nazario made another wish at his sickbed. "Hiniling niya(Nazario) na sana mapasama si Eden Sonsona cousin of WBO superbantamweight champion Marvelous Marvin Sonsona sa undercard ng laban niya againts Cotto," said Lainez, whose friendship and association with Nazario extend t more than four decades.
Pacquiao has since made special arrangement for the inclusion of Sonsona, a boxer of Nazario, in the boxing card for his coming fight with cotto.


SOURCE: PEOPLE'S JOURNAL
AUTHOR: GERRY N. SANTOS