Blow by Blow, presently under the title Manny Pacquiao Presents: Blow By Blow, is a weekly sports television boxing program. It is currently produced by Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions and is currently airing on One Sports channel since 2022.
In the original version, the show was produced by Vintage Sports and aired over television network PTV and later IBC. Debuting in 1994, it focuses mainly on up-and-coming boxing prospects. The show ended in 1999.
History
Official title from 1994 to 1999.
The show is usually taped on small venues and gyms across Metro Manila (usually from Parañaque or Mandaluyong).
The show is noted for airing the early bouts of Manny Pacquiao, who quickly became one of its featured boxers.[1][2]
Revival
The show was revived on December 13, 2015, and aired every Sunday afternoon on TV5. Pacquiao, one of the homegrown boxers featured in Blow by Blow, together with Sports5, former North Cotabato vice governor and acclaimed boxing analyst Manny Piñol, and boxing promoters Gerry Garcia and Lito Mondejar spearheaded the return of the program that will feature boxing fights of amateur boxers in the country.[3]
In November 2022, Pacquiao, through his MP Promotions, revived the show this time on One Sports channel.[4]
Notable incidents
Eugene Barutag incident
On December 9, 1995, a young fighter from General Santos City named Eugene Barutag, was scheduled for an eight-round match against veteran Randy Andagan of Biñan, Laguna. Barutag was winning the match in the first four rounds and almost knocked out Andagan, but the latter got his second wind and beat the younger boxer, who at the end of the bout, collapsed in his corner. At that time, there were no standby paramedics in case of emergency. Using the service vehicle of Vintage Sports, Barutag was rushed to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital and was declared dead on arrival.[5]
The bout was shown on an i-Witness episode entitled Kamao (fist). The episode won a Peabody Award, together with two other documentaries that the program produced.[6]
The fight also features in the 2015 Movie, Kid Kulafu, where Manny Pacquiao witnesses his death.
