Filipinos asked to turn off fridges to avoid power cuts during Pacquiao fight
What you need to know:
WBO welterweight champion Pacquiao is revered in his home country and residents are desperate to watch their man take part in the fight of the century
Residents of the Phillipines have been asked to turn off their fridges to try to ensure power cuts don't stop fans watching local hero Manny Pacquiao's bout with Floyd Mayweather.
Filipino fighter Pacquiao will take on Mayweather in the richest fight in boxing history in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Power strapped areas of the Phillipines have suffered from a number of power cuts recently and officials are fearful that another outage could see boxing fans miss the showdown.
Rante Ramos, the country’s electrical secretary on the island of Palawan, made the bizarre request in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The post called for refrigerators, washing machines, irons and air conditioners to be turned off for the duration of the fight.
“Collectively we can do something,” Ramos wrote. “On May 3, let’s all voluntarily switch off or disconnect as many appliances as we could.”
Pacquiao, who is worshipped in his home country, is confident that he will give his people something to shout about on Saturday night.
Ahead of the bout, Pacquiao said: “I am so happy because that feeling of the killer instinct – that focus I had from 10 or 11 years ago - it is back.
“In previous fights, a couple of fights, I never felt like this, it's different. I am 100 per cent relaxed and confident of winning.
“I don't have a prediction. I am excited and confident. I have peace of mind.”
