Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Filipino Boxing Legend Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao-by Mike Gonzalez-Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Filipino Boxing Legend Manny Pacquiao

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978 in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines.

He is a former professional boxer and politician from the Philippines who is recognized as one of the best professional boxers of all time and goes by the nickname”PacMan”.

He is the only boxer to hold world titles for four decades (the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s) and the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing and has won twelve major world titles.

Pacquiao earned the second-highest salary of any athlete in the world in 2015, according to Forbes.

He entered politics in 2010 when he was elected as the representative of Sarangani then elected and assumed office as a senator in 2016 and became the president of his party PDP–Laban in 2020.

Pacquiao announced his candidacy for president of the Philippines in the 2022 Philippine presidential election on September 19, 2021, and retired from professional boxing 10 days later.

Other than boxing and politics Pacquiao has been a head coach and player for the Philippine Basketball Association team. He has also starred in film, presented television shows, and done music.

He is an Evangelical Christian preacher, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Here are 10 fascinating facts about Manny Pacquiao.

1. Pacquiao didn’t have an easy upbringing

When he was in sixth grade, his parents divorced because of his father’s extramarital relationship.

At the age of 14, Pacquiao relocated to Manila, where he worked as a construction worker, slept on the streets, and had to choose between feeding himself and giving money to his mother.

He said that he learned to fight when he was little in order to survive and worked hard to improve so he could continue to support my family since he had no one to depend on.

2. He was introduced to boxing at a young age

I Am Manny Pacquiao-by Shubert Ciencia –Wikimedia Commons

When Pacquiao was 12 years old, his maternal uncle Sardo Mejia introduced him to boxing. He was inspired by Mike Tyson’s defeat of James “Buster” Douglas in 1990.

After 6 months of training, in a home gym by his uncle, he started boxing in a park in General Santos before moving on to other towns to battle opponents of greater caliber.

He relocated to Manila at age 15 after becoming regarded as the top junior boxer in the southern Philippines and made his professional boxing debut as a junior flyweight in January 1995, at the age of 16.

3. He is the only boxer to hold world titles for four decades

Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Keith Thurman-by Toohool-Wikimedia Commons

Pacquiao holds the honor of being the only boxer to have held the world title in each of the following four decades; the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.

The WBC, WBO, HBO, and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) all selected him as Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s.

4. He has been featured in various magazines

Time’s 2009 list of the 100 most important people because of his achievements in boxing and his standing among Filipinos and Forbes also listed him in its 2009 edition of the Celebrity 100 list.

He has appeared on the cover of Time magazine Asia for their November 16, 2009, issue featured as a fighter with enough charisma and intelligence.

He is the eighth Filipino to be on the cover of the prestigious magazine. He has also been featured on the cover of Reader’s Digest Asia and global brands like Nike want him in their ads.

5. Pacquiao is a holder of six Guinness Book world records.

He has the most consecutive boxing world title fight victories at different weights at 15 and is named the oldest welterweight boxing world champion.

He has the most boxing world titles won in different weight divisions and he also recorded the highest-selling pay-per-view boxing match in a Welterweight title fight.

He became the first Filipino Olympic non-participant to be Team Philippines’ flag-bearer during the August 8 opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

6. He is listed in Forbes’s highly paid list of athletes

Pacquiao received a total of $40 million, or 2 billion pesos, from the second half of 2008 to the first half of 2009, according to Forbes, making him the sixth best-paid athlete in the world.

He was again rated seventh with a salary of $42 million on Forbes’ list of the top paid athletes from the second half of 2009 to the first half of 2010 and the second highest paid athlete in the world in 2015.

7. Pacquiao has been a head coach and player for the Philippine Basketball Association team

Manny Pacquiao, Mahindra-by Angelo6397-Wikimedia Commons

He declared his intent to join the Philippine Basketball Association as the playing coach of the upcoming expansion team Kia Motors Basketball for the 2014–15 PBA season on April 17, 2014.

He was awarded an honorary member of the Boston Celtics and made friends with Steph Curry as well as basketball Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.

Pacquiao recorded a career-high four points and made his first-ever three-point field goal in a 97-88 victory over the Blackwater Elite on August 21, 2016.

In 2017, founded the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, a prominent semi-professional league in the Philippines.

8. Pacquiao changed his course to pursue his political ambitions

Senator Manny Pacquiao 083016-by Romeo Bugante-Wikimedia Commons

In 2010, Pacquiao entered politics when he was chosen to represent Sarangani. He held this position for six years prior to his 2016 election and inauguration as a senator. In 2020, he was elected leader of his party, the PDP-Laban.

As early as June 2020, Pacquiao expressed interest in running for president and said he was retiring from boxing to focus on the biggest fight of his political career.

9.Pacquiao is a multi-faceted talent 

Pacquiao created music for his fight entrances and published it on two albums that were given local Philippine platinum certification.

He was enlisted as a military reservist and was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army.

He has also been featured in films after signing a contract as an actor & host with ABS-CBN.

Upon the expiration of his contract with ABS-CBN, Pacquiao signed with GMA Network as an actor and host in September 2007.

10. Pacquiao is a Christian preacher

He was brought up in the Catholic religion and is currently an Evangelical Christian preacher.

He claimed that he had a dream in which he saw two angels and heard the voice of God which led him to accept Christianity as his personal religion.

Manny Pacquiao is a Filipino professional boxer, media personality, and politician who rose to fame for his record-breaking number of boxing championship victories.