New Champion — Dionesia Dapidran Pacquiao
[BoxingGlove Notes]
“I know why I lost this fight to Pacquiao. It was because Manny’s mom put a voo-doo hex on me throughout the fight,” declared an angry and frustrated Timothy Bradley in the ring after the decision was rendered, and, after Pacquiao’s Mom, Dionesia Dapidran Pacquiao, entered the ring, spoke to him while hugging and kissing him, even before she went to attend to her son.
Bradley was referring to Manny Pacquiao’s resounding victory in their fight Saturday. Pacquiao regained the World Boxing Organization welterweight world title and handed Bradley his first defeat.
“This is only sour grapes” said a spokesperson from the Pacquiao camp. “Bradley was beaten cleanly and soundly, leaving no doubt that Manny was the clear-cut winner not only tonight, but especially June 9, 2012, when he beat him worse and was robbed of the decision. This was vindication without a doubt”.
This story, in my opinion, received so much “ink” in the press and websites because although we knew that Pacquiao’s Mom attended all of his fights, the H.B.O. cameras in the past only focused on Jinkee, PacMan’s wife. This time Jinkee was not present because she was expecting their 5th child-a boy- and she could not fly.
Surprisingly, after the camera focused on Bradley’s wife, Monica, who left in despair after the 10th round, it panned on Manny’s mom catching her going through some ritualistic, or spiritual incantations. Mom Dionesia, with her eyes almost closed seemed to be frantically reciting some inaudible prayer while at the same time holding a rosary and someone’s picture in her left hand, while gesturing and pointing with three fingers of her right hand, towards the ring as the fight went from round to round until the end of the fight.
Her antics were so eye-catching and interesting that it caused the ring side analysts to comment on her assumed prayers for her son’s well-being fighting Bradley. It obligated the H.B.O. cameraman to film her for a long time.
Her 15 minutes of fame went global; referenced on various Websites, Twitter accounts, on Youtube, Insta-Grams, and on Facebook.
When questioned about her prayers, Mom Dionesia who is already a famous singing personality in the Philippines, and also sings in Manny Pacquiao’s band, said that she was praying for Manny as she always did during all of his fights. Especially, since Manny, raised in the Catholic religion, had converted to Protestant, and they were the ones hurting him. That’s why he had lost to Bradley and then to Marquez, she emphatically stated.
She said in some parts of the Philippines there were witches known as “Mangkukulam”, who also try to “hurt you”, and “that is why I pray for my son at every fight”.
Coming from an Afro-Latino Diaspora background which is global, I believe her actions are believable, should be respected, and not regarded as the crazy antics of a 64 year old mom trying to get on Candid Camera.
I remember decades ago the late and great Hall of Famer World Champ, Emile Griffith’s mom Emelda, would sit in her favorite ring side seat and cheer her beloved son loudly while wearing one of her favorite hats. The hats were designed by Emile who worked at a Millinery factory before he was discovered for ring greatness.
Many athletes, as well as surprisingly, musicians, go through prayers, and repeated rituals to be successful in their chosen crafts, so boxing is certainly no different.
