There are few more iconic boxers in sport than Manny Pacquiao. The legendary star needed to overcome many challenges throughout his esteemed career, and that has continued after his boxing career after embarking on a life within politics in the Philippines.
During his career, he was an eight-division world champion, making him the only boxer in history to have won that many titles in a range of weight classifications. Overall, he won 12 world titles and was the first boxer in history to become the lineal champion in four different divisions. Furthermore, he was the first start to win major world titles in four of the eight glamour divisions within boxing. In recent years, Pacquiao has faced gambling issues and is now contemplating a return to the ring for an official fight.
Early Life
Pacquiao was born into a tough life from an early age, as he was born in Kibawe, Bukidnon, in the Philippines. Rarely do sporting superstars emerge from the suburbs in the Asian nation, and his challenge was made even more challenging after his parents separated when he was in sixth grade.
Pacquiao was one of six siblings, but a passion for the sport of boxing was shared by his brother Alberto. Pacquiao made the life changing decision to move to Manila when he was just 14, and lived on the streets in his attempts to made it on his own two feet.
He would work on construction sites, and any money that he earned would be sent directly back to his mother. His secondary school education came to an end early due to extreme poverty, but he would leave school with a diploma.
Dominance In The Ring
Pacquiao’s status in his home country before turning professional was extremely bright after he amassed an amateur record of 60-4. However, he would make waves as soon as he turned professional, setting records on a number of occasions.
After building up a 32-2 professional record, Pacquiao would fight for the first time outside of Asia in June 2001 when he challenged Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF super bantamweight title. It would be a memorable night in Las Vegas for Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao, as he scored a stunning sixth-round TKO. His reputation on the global stage would continue throughout the 2000s, winning the featherweight title in 2003, and adding the super lightweight title in 2008.
One of his most dominant performances in the ring came in Las Vegas in May 2009, when he produced a second-round KO against Ricky Hatton to win the IBO and The Ring light welterweight titles.
Legacy
Pacquiao is regarded as one of the best southpaw boxers of all time, with Bert Sugar ranking above any other fighter in history. He was also number one in the DAZN rankings for the best fighters in the last 30 years. Pacquiao made history throughout his professional career, winning world titles in eight divisions and becoming a lineal champion in five classifications.
Pacquiao was rated as the best pound-for-pound fighter throughout his career by leading boxing outlets such as The Ring, BoxRec, and ESPN. The Ring ranked him the longest reigning top-ten boxer in history after featuring in the charts between 2003 and 2016. His fights were landmark events in their own right, and $1.3 billion in revenue was generated from his 26 PPV bouts.
Venture Into Gambling
Aside from enjoying a dominant record in the ring, Pacquiao has also enjoyed his life away from the sport, putting his passion into politics in his home country. However, he is also an avid casino player, and there have been countless examples of his performances at the poker table. One of the most famous of those came during a trip to South California, as he reportedly left $100,000 on the casino tables during his visits. Such was his passion for the activity, it was reported that he also enjoyed games against professional poker players such as Justin Smith. Nowadays, it is not necessary to make a trip to California to have a gambling experience. On such platforms as True Blue Casinos everyone can find any casino game he prefers.
Justin Smith revealed that Pac-Man would often ask for tips about the game after losing hands, and instead of reacting aggressively, he would instead laugh and want to know how the hand was won. However, there hasn’t always been a successful relationship between Pacquiao and gambling, as it was reported in 2012 that Pac-Man asked for an advance on his $2 purse for an upcoming bout to pay off gambling debts.
Conclusion & Future
In the final years of his career, Pacquiao was still active in the ring, including a money-spinning showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2015. However, he ended his career in August 2021 after losing the WBA welterweight title by decision to Yordenis Ugas at the age of 42.
Pacquiao’s plans for a comeback have stalled after his exhibition fight against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo, which ended in a draw. Although the fight had no official winner, it was clear that Pacquiao struggled against Anpo, raising doubts about his readiness for a potential title fight against Mario Barrios. The result has led to Pacquiao being urged to reconsider his return to professional boxing, with many suggesting that continuing his retirement might be the safer option.
