Manny Pacquiao is a unique boxer. He is the only world champion in the history of boxing in eight weight categories. Eight, Karl! His champion acceleration was from 50 to 70 kg. And he always maintained phenomenal reflexes, crazy punching power, and unstoppable speed. Let’s get to know this outstanding athlete better.
Manny Pacquiao’s Storied Boxing Career
If you bet boxing, you gather information about all prominent boxers. Manny Pacquiao is an extraordinary person. He was both a boxing champion and a presidential candidate. But where did it all begin, and how did his career develop? Let’s find out.
Early Beginnings and Rise to Fame
Emmanuel Dapidran Manny Pacquiao, the future Pac-Man, was born in the Philippine province of Bukidnon in December 1978. The fourth of six children, he worked from an early age: the family barely made ends meet.
His mother planned a priest career for Manny, but he had another opinion: he was so fascinated by boxing that he could not imagine another future. He trained all the time: on the way to school, during breaks, on the way home after classes.
The following year, the boy decided to secretly leave his home and go to the capital of the Philippines in search of a better life. As soon as he reached his destination, he immediately called home and informed everyone of his escape. At the very beginning of his life, Manny experienced a lot of difficulties that helped to temper his character.
In order to earn a living, he had to work tirelessly at a dump as a metal cutter, so he could only train at night. And due to the fact that he had practically no money, there was nothing left to do but stay overnight in the same gym. As soon as Pacquiao gets rich and becomes famous all over the world, he will immediately buy this gym in order to open his own school there.
At the age of 16, he had the great luck to get into a boxing TV show, where he fully revealed his athletic talent and became a real star. The audience was wildly delighted with the explosive character of this Filipino, even though his technique was not perfect.
Notable Fights and Achievements
In the winter of 1999, Manny signed a contract with American promoter Murad Mohammed. The American lived up to expectations and turned Pacquiao into a champion. This happened in a fight with Lelohonolo Ledwaba. The opponent received 5 blows to the head from Pac-Man. In the 6th round, Ledwaba was knocked down, and the crowd welcomed the new IBF champion.
In 2005, Manny moved up a weight class and met the famous Erik Morales in the ring. The strong opponent defeated Pacquiao but with a minimal advantage.
The Filipino defeated American Oscar De La Hoya, a former world champion in 6 weight categories and competing in the 66.7 kg weight class, with almost no resistance. The American was unable to withstand the rapid attacks of his opponent, and the fight was decided to be stopped due to extensive swelling of De La Hoya’s eye.
In 2012, the athlete defended his championship title for the third time – in a fight with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, who had previously demonstrated impressive statistics and had repeatedly become a world leader. In January 2019, Manny defended his WBA welterweight title, which he had taken from Argentine Lucas Matthysse a year earlier. The Filipino’s opponent was American Adrien Broner, who had held the belt in this category back in 2013. The first fight under the auspices of the Premier Boxing Champions promotional company ended in a unanimous decision victory for Pac-Man.
Legacy as an Eight-Division World Champion
The list of Manny Pacquiao’s achievements is so long that it’s hard to know where to start but we will try to mention the most important ones:
- He became a champion in four weight classes.
- The only man in boxing history to become world champion in four different decades. Even the aging George Foreman couldn’t do it.
- He beat 21 world boxing champions.
Life Beyond Boxing
We have already mentioned that Manny Pacquiao was an extraordinary person. His activities and life outside the ring are no less interesting than his victories.
Pacquiao’s Political Career
The athlete, representing the liberals, entered politics in 2007. In 2010, Pacquiao won the elections to Congress. He became the only millionaire in the country’s parliament: in 2014, his fortune reached $42 million. Since 2016, the athlete has served as a senator, elected for a term until June 2022.
In September 2021, he still put forward his candidacy for the post of head of state. During the election campaign, the legendary fighter promised to fight poverty and corruption as president. Despite his popularity, Pacquiao was lagging behind his competitors, according to polls.
Contributions to the Philippines as a Senator
During his time in the Senate, Pacquiao was remembered for his active involvement in the life of his country. Having experienced poverty and hardship as a child, he tried to improve the living conditions of the population. However, he was also remembered for his negative attitude towards same-sex marriages.
Pacquiao is no stranger to caring for his neighbors. The boxer built houses for his fellow countrymen in his native village and built sports grounds, a park, and a school there. He also supports a professional basketball team, bought $2 million worth of tickets for the fight with Mayweather, which he gave away to the poor, and simply handed out part of his $8.6 million fee for the fight with Horn on the street.
Advocacy and Efforts to Improve Lives
In the Senate, Pacquiao was one of the most influential figures. Firstly, by that time, he had made an impressive fortune. Secondly, he was very popular among the people. And Manny did not let down those who believed in him. He did a lot to improve life in the country. He fought poverty especially zealously.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the senator donated money for protective equipment and continued to help those in need. According to him, stopping assistance to the homeless is fraught with the emergence of looting, so this aspect of the activity is extremely important for the country.
Manny Pacquiao as a Philanthropist
Having acknowledged his defeat in the presidential elections with honor, Pacquiao promised to continue to act for the benefit of the country’s residents, using the resources of his own foundation. Incidentally, for him, an attempt to get to the highest state post meant losing his seat in the Senate, since the former world champion was forced to give up his seat in the upper house in order to participate in the presidential race.
Business Ventures and Entrepreneurship
There were also dark spots in Pacquiao’s life: the athlete delved too deeply into the world of gambling, earning very large sums, but he still borrowed money from colleagues to pay off his debts. Manny opened several dubious enterprises, including a farm for breeding cocks for fighting, a casino, and a nightclub, where the owner himself liked to have fun.
However, over time, he moved away from such dubious enterprises. Now he is a deeply religious person. He has his own charitable foundation.
Pacquiao’s Influence on Sports Today
Pacquiao remains unrivaled to this day. His path to success inspires many young boxers. He has become a role model for a whole generation of athletes. Now, he actively helps sports organizations, but as a philanthropist. Thanks to his foundation, many have had the opportunity to train and realize their dreams.
Manny Pacquiao’s Personal Life in 2024
Manny met his wife, Jinky Jamore, in a shopping mall — the girl was selling cosmetics. In the spring of 2000, the couple created a strong family. They have three sons and two daughters, who are now growing up. In 2011, the couple was going through hard times, and his wife even filed for divorce. This sobered up the athlete. He stopped participating in vicious entertainment and became interested in religion.
The Future of Manny Pacquiao
The athlete ended his boxing career. He also had to leave the Senate because of the presidential elections. So now Pacquiao enjoys time with his family and is actively involved in social activities. He posts a lot of photos on Instagram, but he doesn’t say anything about his plans for the future. Perhaps he will return to politics or continue acting in films. He has reached such heights that he can now do whatever he wants.
Conclusion
Manny Pacquiao has come a long way from being a poor boy with no prospects to being a world-famous champion. Even after finishing his sports career, he continued to engage in politics to help his native country. Now, he is over 45 years old. We can hardly expect his return to boxing. But Pacquiao has already written himself into history.
