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Source: Chino Trinidad, gmanews.tv

-- A dark, quiet and cold Las Vegas greeted us upon our arrival in this boxing capital. But things brightened up as pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao hit town late Monday night.

Tuesday morning, Pacquiao was at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) track oval where a crowd gathered just to get a glimpse of one of boxing’s most popular figure.

And as the MGM Grand Hotel welcomed Pacquiao, boxing fans packed the lobby just to see even a shadow of the man some say could save the sport.

Yes, boxing is under external and internal threat nowadays and those who love the sport are pinning their hopes on Pacquiao to keep the sport afloat.

There is the threat of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), which seem to have replaced boxing as the top draw in prize-fighting in “Sin City".

Boxing also has to address the lack of interesting personalities and match-ups in most divisions specially the heavyweight class, which used to be the sport’s main staple.

But as Pacquiao finishes his preparations for his historic fight for an unprecedented seventh title in his seventh weight division, boxing’s problems – both external and internal – seem to have taken a backseat.

It remains to be seen whether boxing will never be the same without Pacquiao fighting.

But as things look right now, boxing needs a Manny Pacquiao to keep the flame burning for the once proud sport.

This is one more good reason why Pacquiao should spend the next 18 months thinking of how to save the sport that has brought him and us Filipinos out of the doldrums.

Politics can wait.