PACQUIAO Figurine at Comic-Con

Vinyl Doll a Big Hit at Convention!

I found boxing’s biggest ambassador at Comic-Con. Yes, there amongst the hundreds of thousands of fans that converged upon San Diego’s enormous trade show was one speedy little southpaw, Manny Pacquiao himself.

Although this “Manny Pacquiao” wasn’t exactly the 5′ 7″ stick of dynamite we’re used to seeing in the squared circle.

This Pac-Man was just a few inches tall but still looked fierce, with his gloves primed and ready to go. He also looked a little stiff and shiny.

Meet the new black-and-white version of Mindstyle’s Manny Pacquiao’s vinyl figurine, a limited-edition collectible unveiled for the fans at the 2011 Comic-Con International.

Attending the convention for years, I always consider it a break from boxing since the extravaganza focuses on previews in the entertainment world including film and TV, art and animation, sci-fi and horror, toys, video games, books and of course, comics. In these genres, boxing (or for that matter sports in general) is a rare find, like finding a needle in a haystack. But if anyone can sniff out any boxing connection, it’s yours truly. Honing in on my boxing radar, I was drawn to the caricature of the tiny version of MP glaring out from under heavy brows.

Amidst the aisles–through the sweaty swarms of people crowding the hall–stood an exclusive collectible for Pacquiao’s most ardent fans.

But owning a piece of Manny doesn’t come cheap.

Vinyl Pac-Man can be yours for $250 a pop.

I chatted with the company’s representative to find out more about this fun plastic Pacquiao stand-in.

John Henry Hardy, Director of Business Development for Mindstyle International, told me this black, white and gray version of the boxing superstar has been a big hit. The company first came out with a color version of the doll in 2010. But this new version was unveiled for the fans attending the 2011 Comic-Con show.

Hardy also displayed basketball figurines of Laker star Kobe Bryant (available for $300) and the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose in full color.

But it was the Filipino icon who stole the show, as usual, with fans snagging their own Pac-Man souvenir.

Hardy says that the boxing figurine was the best seller during the four-day extravaganza.

“It’s not available online,” explained the businessman, of its exclusivity. “We work a lot with the Team Pacquiao store too for product placement.”

The pound-for-pound puncher and Team Pacquiao has endorsed this special stand-up doll for fans worldwide to enjoy.

While Manny’s mug even managed to outsell NBA hero Kobe Bryant’s statue, I wondered out loud who could possibly challenge vinyl Pac-Man, who is set to fight Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12. But it’s another P4P champ that everyone wants Pacquiao to face.

“Are you planning on making a Floyd Mayweather doll in the future?” I quizzed Hardy.

The Mindstyle rep chuckled. “I don’t know…” he laughed. “We have really good relations with Team Pacquiao.” John adds that the company has many exciting new projects in the works, both in and out of boxing.

“Okay, well if Pac-Man and Mayweather ever fight, who do you think would win?” I ask.

“Both are great fighters,” Hardy assesses, “but I think Pacquiao would get it!”

One thing Pacquiao did get was bragging rights for was being “King of the Vinyl” as his doll KO’d Kobe Bryant’s miniature likeness–Take that, “Black Mamba”!

Maybe there will be a rematch in the future as Comic-Con will stay in this Southern California location through 2015.

You can check out some exclusive photos of my convention “adventures” as the “Chatter Box” made the rounds.

Besides pics of the Manny Pacquiao collector’s item, you’ll also see some of the fierce fans at SDCC. If you like people watching, you have to go to Comic-Con. It’s a roving masquerade ball and Halloween party with everyone decked out in costumes. It’s Cosplay (costume play) at its finest where everyone gets to be a star for a day.

Seeing is believing, so here’s some “eye candy” for you.

And see you at the fights!

Photos by Michele Chong and Alesha Reyes