YES, he lost to Yordenis Ugás. But how he accepted defeat in good grace makes him still the inspiration of all his adoring fans here and abroad.

It was so sincere and spontaneous for him to apologize for losing the fight although there was no need to ask for an apology—for we were all witness to how he did his best to win—although, he was quick to say that his best was not good enough to beat Ugás.  And he did not forget to congratulate Ugás for winning the fight.

The way he accepted defeat reminds me of that Sportsman Prayer written by American poet Berton Braley in the 1950s, a portion of which reads:  "Dear God, if I should win, let it be by the Code with my faith and honor held high; and if I should lose, let me stand by the road and cheer, as the winner goes by."

Thus, despite his shocking loss to Ugás, Pacquiao will always be a legend in the eyes of the masses and to all his millions of fans.  As I said before, to them, what is more compelling is his most fascinating life story of having been poor and yet was able to withstand all odds and adversities in order to achieve enormous success in life with a clean slate and an unblemished reputation.

Indeed, long after his retirement, the legacy of Manny Pacquiao will not just be about his superb boxing skills and "once-in-a-generation" talent. More than this, people will remember his story—of how one man who was born very poor, literally fought his way from survival to global dominance; and  that despite all his success and influence, how he remained grounded through it all.

Atty. Romulo Macalintal served as election lawyer of Manny Pacquiao in various elections and is a boxing enthusiast.  In his younger days, he collected newspaper clippings of known boxers. He has a scrap book of news clips of Muhammad Ali in the 1960s which was autographed by Ali in September 1975 when Ali came to Manila for the Thrilla in Manila fight with Joe Frazier. Macalintal also has a wide collection of newspaper front-page photos of Manny Pacquiao's fights with the latter's autograph.

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