Is that Manny Pacquiao?

By Rick Farris

The question came from Felicity Huffman, who plays "Lynette Scavo" on Desperate Housewives.
"Flicka" as she is known to the crew, had just stepped into the air conditioned video tent, located inside the "Scavo House" garage set.
On this hot July afternoon, the garage is like an oven, and the small air conditioning unit cooling the tent is cranking full bore.

The tent is full, about a half-dozen crew members sitting in fold-up directors chairs, and a handful more just standing, staring at the video monitor.
The fight is just about over, the ninth round has just started. The favorite is battered and taking a whipping.

I answer the actress' question, "No that's not Pacquiao, that's Frankie Baltazar Jr. . . ."

She steps closer to the screen, "Oh, he's a southpaw, like Pacquiao."
Suddenly Chango Cruz hits the deck, the actress' eyes grow big, "Oh look, he's down . . ."
A moment later the fight is over, Frankie Jr. runs across the ring and hugs Johnnie Flores and his father.

Before the audience in the air conditioned tent could comment on the fight, a big figure steps inside.
It's Mark Cherry, creator and Executive Producer of Desprate Housewives. He wants to review the shot we did before lunch.
We all stand up, the video-assist tech disconnects my lap top from the monitor, Flicka hugs the heavyset producer and exits with the rest of us.

A camera assistant catches up with me, "That kid was a good fighter, you said he only had five fights?"
I answer, "Yeah, he was just eighteen. Today he's in the California Hall of Fame, so's his brother Tony, and their father."
"Well, tomorrow bring in that other fight you have with Tony, OK?" he asks.

"You got it. Manana!"