‘Hatton’, ‘Pacquiao’ draw hits on YouTube

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 20:53:00 05/09/2009
INQUIRER.net

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines -- Not many would know that a month ago, British boxer Ricky Hatton, whom Manny Pacquiao knocked out in a fight in Las Vegas recently, said in an interview that he would finish the Filipino boxing legend in just two rounds.

But the video of the interview, which has drawn over 54,000 hits on YouTube from the time it was uploaded on March 29 by YouTube user bingcherry06, is actually a comedy act featuring a tiny-voiced Hatton that speaks Bisaya.

The interviewer asks Hatton after how many rounds he thinks he can beat Pacquiao, to which the British boxer answers, “Duha ka rounds (Two rounds)!”

What makes this video funnier now is its contrast to the result of the actual fight, where Pacquiao defeated Hatton in a glorious knockout as early as the second round.

The video was created and uploaded a month ago.

“Duha ka rounds! Timing jud kaayo (Two rounds! How timely!) Bisdak rules!” a YouTube user posted a comment.

The funny YouTube video gained more than 25,000 hits just after the Pacquiao-Hatton fight in Las Vegas. It was also reposted on the social networking site Facebook.

The interviewer asks, “Dili kaha ka mahadlok ni Pacquiao? Ingon ra ba mga tawo nga naa daw kini banipas o agod-agod (Are you not afraid of Paquiao who, people say, has an amulet)?”

Hatton throws a strange answer, “Di na musalir sa akoa oi. Kay didto sa amo sa Siquijor, barang man uso sa amoa. Di mi mutuo og agod-agod. (He is no match to me. In our place in Siquijor, witchcraft is the 'in' thing. We don't believe in amulets).”

“Katong mga silingan namo sa una nga mga wakwak, wala na, gaboksing na sila kay para daw pud sila makasapi. (Our neighbors who were witches are no longer there; they are already into boxing -- to have money),” the Bisaya-speaking Hatton added.

The original video was an interview of Hatton after his fight with Paulie Malignaggi late last year.

The dubbed video has earned more than 250 comments from YouTube users.

Darnel Forro, an Ilonggo student based in Winnipeg, Canada, said he could not stop laughing while watching the video though he could not really fully understand it.

The way the Bisaya lines would match Hatton’s lip movements was amusing.

Forro ran to his father, who was formerly a military sergeant in Cebu province and the Mindanao region, for translation. He said his father laughed so hard before he could even translate it.

This is not the first time videos dubbed in a native language have gained popularity on YouTube.

One of the firsts was the Ilonggo version of a scene sliced from the film 300. It was titled “Benjo Kag ang Batalyon Pitbull (Benjo and the Pitbull Battalion). It has been reposted many times.

The Internet is also laden with funny photos of Pacquiao. These are digitally edited photos showing Pacquiao’s face attached to different bodies.

Several versions were uploaded on YouTube. One of them, which earned as much as 250,000 hits and 470 users’ comments, is a montage of photos showing Pacquiao as Superman, Michael Jackson, Gollum (Lord of the Rings character), Sergio (Dingdong Dantes’ character in the local version of Marimar), and many more.

Another video with more than 220,000 views shows boxer Emmanual Marquez II and Pacquiao dancing Hawaiian to the tune of Pearly Shell.

Forro said the videos would not have been as funny if not for Pacquiao.