Ten years after its debut at the United States Pacquiao a Sensation

 It was 10 years earlier this summer and Oscar De La Hoya was the big attraction, as it has often been Saturday night in this city in the game. Many of the high-rollers who came to watch De La Hoya fight against Javier Castillejo had not yet made their way to their seats ringside $ 1,000 at the MGM Grand Hotel where a 121 - Nr of the Philippines made his debut at the United States.

Manny Pacquiao took the fight on two weeks notice. His chances of beating rising star Lehlohonolo Ledwaba were regarded as so thin that oddsmakers refused similarly conditioned a line on it.

Pacquiao would Ledwaba such a beating that the fight would last six rounds. Then he disappeared, leaving the arena as the other combatants shipment to clear the way for the main event.

Those who watched the night saw promise, certainly. But in the arena, nobody would have thought to what was to come.

A decade later, Pacquiao is the star, fighting Saturday night in the same ring where he had his party out. It will make a minimum of $ 20 million to take on Shane Mosley in a match which should only further cement its place among the great for his time.

And it'll do any port gloves yellow, because there is fighting are larger than those taking place in the ring.

"All my life I had to fight." As a child, I had to fight just to eat, "Pacquiao said." "The greatest fight in my life is not in boxing." The most important fight of my life is to know how to end poverty in my country. ?

Gloves yellow to promote unity against poverty is not just a symbolic gesture. Nor is getting elected to Congress of the Philippines.

Pacquiao is celebrated as no other Filipino athlete. But his legacy may one day be more important than what he done outside the ring.

He donated money to strangers for the request. He purchased lands recently to build housing subsidized for the homeless. And he went directly to the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III asking for 5 million for a hospital which were badly needed in the Province of Sarangani.

He gets, because the other than Floyd Mayweather Jr., person has never said no to Manny Pacquiao.

"I said it many times," said promoter Bob Arum. "The Philippines has a social safety net and they call Manny Pacquiao.

Boxing, of course, is Pacquiao work day, and it is one he is excelled in recent years. He gave such a beating that he sent to La Hoya retired, and it is placed on a string of sensational performance against some of the biggest names around a few years back.

The one missing name is Mayweather, Pacquiao seems tired of the subject. Mayweather has not fought in a year and shows little interest to get in the ring with Pacquiao in what could be the richest boxing fight ever.

"I am the kind of person who does not want to talk about someone behind his back," said Pacquiao. "He made his best in boxing." He contributed to the history of boxing. Let's talk about the fight Saturday. ?

The problem is that you cannot talk about fight of Saturday without talking about Mayweather. The reason is that dominated Mayweather Mosley by winning a decision last May and performance of the Pacquiao against the same enemy will be used as a measure that would hold the upper hand should the two eventually meet.

In the event wherever they meet ever, it is. Mayweather has legal issues and seems to also have problems with the fact there is that a Hunter there would have a legitimate chance to give him his first professional defeat.