Watch and learn

The look on the face of Eumir Marcial was priceless.

During a recent training session at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Marcial was busy hitting the mitts with trainer Joven Jimenez when a familiar face stepped inside the ring to share his expertise.

The fellow was no other than Manny Pacquiao, who had just finished with his workout when he saw Marcial and Jimenez partnering with the pads.

Marcial was doing the tried and tested three-punch combination when Pacquiao decided he had to intervene.

He asked Marcial to watch him move then asked him to do the same thing.

Awed by Pacquiao’s presence, Marcial did what he was told, leaving Pacquiao satisfied.

Such is the magic of Pacquiao, who is on a mission to become the third oldest boxer to win a world title next month in Las Vegas.

Marcial, who is fighting on the same night of Pacquiao’s bid to beat Mario Barrios and bring the World Boxing Council welterweight title strap to the Philippines, swears he could not believe that this is all happening.

Another fighter who is likewise enjoying the moment is Jerwin Ancajas, who, like Marcial, is fighting in the undercard.

He, Marcial and Mark Magsayo, another MP Promotions talent, have been having a ball training alongside Pacquiao.

They all know the upside not just of training with him but fighting in his headliner.

With the entire country focused on this event on 19 July, Marcial and company are all eager to outdo each other.

And I could not help but express sadness somehow that one of the country’s top fighters is not among those invited to fight on that day.

If he could only see the look on Marcial’s face, he’d probably realize his decision to sever ties with MP Promotions was truly a bad, bad move.