Last Updated on February 25, 2024
Who is Manny Pacquiao?
Manny Pacquiao, nicknamed Pac Man, is a Filipino professional boxer and politician popularly regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He is widely known as the only fighter in history to have won twelve major world titles in eight different weight divisions.
The eight-division world champion began his boxing career at the age of 16 on a local boxing show on television called Blow By Blow. His decision to pursue a boxing career was largely influenced by Bruce Lee and Muhammed Ali, both of whom he looked up to.
After 26 years in the ring, Pacquiao has fought in a total of 72 fights, with 62 wins, eight losses, and two draws. With a unique blend of speed, power, and talent, he has become a living legend in the ring, fighting alongside opponents like Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey, and Floyd Joy Mayweather.
Manny Pacquiao, however, started his career fighting personal battles of his own. This article will explain how the professional boxer attained his level of recognition from being a mere boy living in the poor streets of the Philippines.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao |
Popular Name: | Manny Pacquiao, Pac Man |
Gender: | Male |
Birth Date: | December 17, 1978 |
Age: | 44 years |
Parents: | Dionisia Dapidran Pacquiao (Father), Rosalio Pacquiao (Mother) |
Siblings: | Bobby Pacquiao, Rogelio Pacquiao, Domingo Silvestre, Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, Liza Silvestre-Onding |
Birth Place: | Kibawe, Philippines |
Nationality: | Philippines |
Ethnicity: | Filipino |
Education: | Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, University of Makati |
Marital Status: | Married |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | Jinkee Pacquiao |
Children: | Robin Brett, Dylan Brett, and Jackson Brett |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | $220 million |
Source of Wealth: | Boxing, Endorsement, Acting, Politics |
Height: | 5ft6 (1.68 m) |
Weight: | 91kg (147 lbs) |
Early Life and Career Information
Emmanuel “Manny” Dapidran Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978, in the small and isolated town of Kibawe in Bukidnon, Philippines. His family struggled to survive in abject poverty, living on meager meals and occasionally taking to the streets for shelter.
The need to help support and improve the quality of life for his family drove him to pursue a career as a boxer. With the help of his uncle Sardo Mejia, Manny began training in a makeshift home gym. As a young teenager, he moved to Manila, where he believed he could make more money to send home to his family. Soon after, in January 1995, he made his professional boxing debut as a junior flyweight.
Pacquaio won his first world title, the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title, at the age of 19 after defeating Thailand’s Chatchai Sasakul. He has since become the first and only boxer to win twelve major world titles in eight different weight divisions. He attained this title when he defeated Antonio Margarito to win the WBC Super Welterweight title on November 13, 2010.
In the early years of his career, Pacquiao was considered a one-dimensional fighter as he was left-handed. This made it easier for his opponents to predict his moves. With the help of his coach, Freddie Roach, he developed into a complete, two-fisted, versatile fighting machine.
Pacquiao has triumphed over 22 world champions in his illustrious career with notable ring wars against fighters like Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Lehlo Ledwaba, Timothy Bradley, Erik Morales, Jorge Eliécer Julio, and Antonio Margarito. With his famed southpaw stance, his swift and staggering strikes have left him emerging victorious at the end of his matches.
Pacquiao has received numerous awards for his time in the ring. He has been named Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America and holds six Guinness book world records.
Outside the ring, Manny is a politician. He entered the political scene in 2010 after being elected as Sarangani’s representative and serving for six years. He later became a Senator in 2016 and the president of his party, the PDP–Laban, in 2020. Despite his years in politics, his decision to run for president of the Philippines in the 2022 Philippine presidential election came as a surprise.
Outside being a boxer and politician, Manny is a cheerful giver. He understands the limitations of growing up in a less privileged environment, having grown up in one himself, and has dedicated over half of his income to charity work. He also established the Manny Pacquiao Foundation to help the less fortunate.
At 44, Manny Pacquiao announced his decision to hang up his gloves and retire from his boxing career.
Manny Pacquiao’s Net Worth
The professional boxer has amassed a fortune of $220 million from his career earnings and endorsements.
His most significant and lucrative career fight was in May 2015 against longtime rival Floyd Mayweather. The fight earned him $130 million, of which he donated more than half to charity.
Lessons from the life of Manny Pacquiao
There’s Always Hope If You Believe It
“I remember as a little boy I ate one meal a day and sometimes slept in the street. I will never forget that, and it inspires me to fight hard, stay strong and remember all the people of my country, trying to achieve better for themselves.” ~ Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao was always a fighter, even before stepping into the ring. As a young boy, his greatest motivation to keep fighting was his desire to get his family out of poverty. From being raised in abject poverty, Manny has become one of the most celebrated boxers of all time.
However, Manny didn’t stop there; he remembered to give back to the community where he grew up in order to help others who were less fortunate. His dramatic transformation shows that it is possible to go from having nothing to having almost everything.
Grow From Your Challenges
“Life is meant to be a challenge because challenges are what make you grow.” ~ Manny Pacquiao
Manny’s status as a successful professional boxer is a product of the challenges he faced while growing up. Being born into poverty, what kept him going was his decision to make a better life for himself and his family.