Manny Pacquiao is such a huge deal in the Philippines that his fight with Mayweather will be a national holiday

In the Fight of the Century tonight, Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn't really have much on the line. Win or lose, the blinged-out, undefeated Mayweather will get $200 million, and he already has a reputation as one of the greatest American boxers in history

Pacquiao, his 36-year-old Filipino rival whose share of the purse is $133 million, has more to fight for. He's battling for the distinction of being the first man in history to win the crowns of five boxing divisions; and — this is important - the pride of an entire nation

“Everything that has been documented about his popularity has not been exaggerated,” says Filipino sports writer JM Siasat to Mashable about Pacquiao’s effect on his home country of the Philippines. “When he fights, the crime rate literally goes to zero. In the southern part of The Philippines, the war between the rebels and the military stops. Sometimes they even watch together, that’s how big it is.” Read more...

More about Business and Sports