Very few people achieve impressive success in both boxing and politics. Manny Pacquiao, or “PacMan,” is one of those. The former Senator of the Philippines is one of the greatest professional boxers in history.
Manny has won boxing world champion titles in eight different weight classes. Yes, you heard that right. And he is the only one in boxing history to do so.
The five-division lineal champion is also the only one in boxing history to win world championships in all four decades since the 1990s. Moreover, Manny became the oldest (40 years) welterweight world champion against Keith Thurman in 2019.
Unfortunately, Pacquiao announced his retirement via social media on September 29, 2021. His fellow fighters to boxers shared their emotions and praised the boxer for his successful career.
The Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation is now partnering with Oceana Fight Promotions to schedule a fight between boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and former world champion Anthony Mundine on June 2023.
His life journey from severe poverty to the summit of his political and boxing career is worth reading. Manny is the perfect example of extraordinary performance on and off the ring.
Buckle up and follow the article for a summary of his journey. But before that, let’s go through his quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao |
| Birth Date | December 17, 1978 |
| Birth Place | Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines |
| Nickname | PacMan |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Ethnicity | Filipino |
| Education | Saavedra Saway Elementary School, General Santos City Notre Dame of Dadiangas University |
| Educational Qualifications | Business Degree |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Father’s Name | Rosalio Pacquiao |
| Mother’s Name | Dionesia Dapidran-Pacquiao |
| Siblings | Five |
| Age | 45 Years Old |
| Height | 5’5″/1.66 m/166 cm |
| Weight | 66 kg/145 lb |
| Build | Athletic |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Profession | Boxer Actor Recording Artist Entrepreneur Politician |
| Active years | 2009-2019 |
| Political Party | PDP-Laban |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife/ Spouse’s Name | Jinkee Pacquiao |
| Children | Three sons and two daughters |
| Sons | Emmanuel Jr. (Jimuel) Pacquiao Michael Stephen Pacquiao Israel Pacquiao |
| Daughters | Mary Divine Grace (Princess) Queen Elizabeth (Queenie) |
| Net Worth | $220 Million |
| Social Media | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram |
| Merch | Posters, Hoodie, Face Mask |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life, Family, And Education
Manny was born on December 17, 1978, in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines, to parents Dionisia Dapidran-Pacquiao and Rosalio Pacquiao.
His father left his mother due to external affairs when he was in sixth grade.
With all the financial burden from his mother, Pacquiao faced abject poverty while growing up.
The former professional boxer spent most of his childhood with his brother Alberto Pacquiao. He is a politician and a former professional boxer who competed in boxing from 1997 to 2008.
Manny completed elementary education at Saavedra Saway Elementary School in General Santos City. Later, he had to leave high school because of poverty.
Boxing Career
Early career
Manny’s maternal uncle introduced him to boxing when he was 12. Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and James “Buster” Douglas were his idols at a young age.
He received training from his maternal uncle in a home gym. Manny began boxing after six months of training. At first, he fought in a park and traveled to other cities for boxing matches.
By 15, Manny emerged as the best junior boxer in the southern Philippines. Later, he moved to Malina, where he debuted his professional boxing career as a junior flyweight in 1995.
Professional Boxing Career
Manny won the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title at 19. On top of that, he has an amateur record of 60-4 and has also defeated 22 world champions.
They include Chatchai Sasakul, Erik Morales, Oscar Larios, Shane Mosley, and others. As a professional, he has a 62-7-2 record with 39 wins by knockouts.
Manny has won major world titles in four glamour divisions of boxing. They include flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Considerably, PacMan is the first boxer in history to do so.
He won the welterweight world championship in 2019. Consequently, Manny has become the first-ever four-decade world boxing champion.
The record-maker has won the title in each decade from 1990 to 2021. Manny signed with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions promotion in October 2018.
Ranking In World Boxing
The Boxing Writers Association of America ranked him as the “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s.
Several boxing journals like ESPN, Sporting Illustrated, and Yahoo! rated him the best-retired boxer in the world. Manny is the greatest retired Asian fighter of all time, per the BoxRec.
Politics Views
Philippine House of Representatives
Pacquiao ran a campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives in 2007. He represented the 1st District of Soth Cotabato province of the Philippines as the candidate of the Liberal party.
But later, the courts forced him to run under Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino. Manny was defeated in the election by the Darlene Antonino-Custodio of the NPC.
In 2009, Manny again ran for congress from Sarangani province. This time he was elected to the House of Representatives by a vast vote margin. Later, in 2013, he was re-elected to the post.
Senate
Pacquiao was elected with over 16 million votes as a senator in May 2016 under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party. Since his appointment, he has supported the return of capital punishment in the Philippines.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he partnered with Jack Ma to bring the covid testing kits to their respective charity foundations.
Military
Manny was promoted to colonel; he was a military reservist in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army.
Before being promoted to full colonel after GSC, Manny held the rank of lieutenant colonel for being a member of the Philippine congress as per the AFP’s regulations for reservist officers.
Basketball
Pacquiao played basketball to maintain his physical fitness. He played for MP-Gensan Warriors in the Liga Philippines, a regional basketball league in the Philippines.
He lunched the Mahalika Pilipinas Basketball League on August 29, 2017. As a result, Manny received much criticism for being involved in both basketball and boxing at once.
Oldest Rookie In The PBA Draft
Kia Picanto picked him in the 2014 Philippine Basketball Association Draft. At the time, he was the oldest newcomer in the PBA draft.
He played nine games and averaged 0.78 points, 0.44 rebounds, and 0.22 assists in 5.78 minutes. Moreover, Manny’s career-high 4 points came against Elite in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Films And Shows
Pacquiao played in several movies which includes 2005’s Lisensyadong Kamao (Licensed Fist), 2008’s Anak ng Kumander and 2009’s comedy Wapakman. However, these films could not receive commercial success.
The retired boxer also made a movie based on his life called Pacquiao: The Movie, featuring Flipino actor Jericho Rosales. Moreover, the 2015 movie Kid Kulafu depicted his early life, as portrayed by Robert Villar.
Also, Liam Neeson narrated his documentary “Manny,” which featured his early life and career.
He also acted in the television shows Pinoy Records, Totoy Bato, and Show Me, Da Manny for GMA Network since 2007.
Controversies
Tax fraud
The Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue issued a freeze order on Manny’s bank accounts in 2012 as he was accused of not paying PHP 2.2 billion in taxes for 2008 and 2009.
The retired boxer finally won the case on October 7, 2022, as the court dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence.
Homosexuality comments
LGBT celebrities heavily criticized Manny for his public statements against same-sex marriage.
He called the wedding “a sin against God” during a video statement posted by TV5 in 2016.
Consequently, Nike ended a longtime partnership with him. Also, he is banned from The Grove at Farmers Market, a shopping mall in Los Angeles. Later, Manny apologized for his comments.
Awards And Accomplishment
International Recognitions
Manny was awarded the BWAA and The HBO Fighter of the Decade in the 2010s. Besides, he has been awarded BWAA’s, ESPN’s, and The Ring’s Fighter of the Year three times.
Manny is the 2008 Sports Illustrated Boxer of the Year. He is a Guinness World Record holder for Most boxing world titles in different weight divisions (8 times).
Moreover, Manny won the World Boxing Council’s Boxer of the Decade in the 2010s. Notably, World Boxing News awarded him the fighter of the year 2019.
National Recognitions
The Philippine Sportswriters Association awarded him The Athlete of the Decade 2010s. He also received PSA’s Sportsman of the Year five times. In 2003, Manny received a Medal of Merit from the President.
He was awarded Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxer of the Decade 2010s. Manny is the 2006 Eastwood City Walk of fame honoree.
The former wrestler received Movies Newsmaker of the Year in 2009 from the Philippines Movie Press Club.
He was also MEGA Man Magazine’s Man of the Year. Also, Pacquiao received the Honorary Doctor of Humanities from Southwestern University in Cebu City in 2009.
Career Stats And Record
| Total Fights | 72 | Ko Wins | 39 |
| Wins | 62 | Total Title Wins | 13 |
| Losses | 8 | Title Defenses | 10 |
| Draws | 2 | Title-Fight KO Wins | 12 |
| No-Contests | 0 | Losses via KO | 3 |
Wife And Children
Manny tied a married relationship with Jinkee Jamora on May 10. 2000. The retired boxer first saw her when Jinkee used to sell beauty products in the mall. After seven months of seeing each other, they tied the knot by inviting friends and families.
The couple is blessed with five children; Emmanuel Jr., Michael Stephen, Mary Divine Grace, Queen Elizabeth, and Israel.
Their eldest son, Emmanuel Jr., is an amateur boxer and wants to follow in the footstep of his father.
Manny lives with his wife in his official residence in Kiamba, Sarangani. Besides, his permanent residence is in his hometown General Santos City, South Cotabato.
Net Worth And Salary
Manny has earned more than $500 million in his career. He made it primarily from boxing and partly from endorsements and movies.
The retired wrestler has a net worth of $220 million in 2024.
In 2015, Manny ranked second on the list of highest-paid athletes in the world. The wrestling match between Manny and Floyd Mayweather is still the best-selling fight in boxing history. As a result, it earned 4.6 million PPV and $120 million for the contest.
He has made an average of $24 million annually throughout his career. According to reports, his former service as a senator earned him 204k pesos.
With all these massive earnings, Manny owns a lavish bungalow in his hometown General Santos City. Additionally, he also purchased a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Mercedes SL500.
Currently, he endorses the Chinese brand Anta and Shopee.
Social Media Presence
Manny Pacquiao is a sensation on numerous social media platforms. He actively uses Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to reach millions of fans.
Twitter: 2.6 million followers
View this post on Instagram
Facebook: 18 million followers
Instagram: 7.1 million followers
Popularity
The retired wrestler is regarded as one of the greatest boxers.
The graph shows his graph trend for 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why does Manny Pacquiao not receive many endorsement deals?
Manny Pacquiao is a popular figure as a boxer all over the world. He is also a renowned politician in the Philippines. However, not many brands reach out to him for endorsements. The reason is his controversial statement regarding gay marriage in 2016. Nike ended relations with him for the same reason.
Is Manny Pacquiao retired?
The only eight-division champion in boxing history, Pacquiao retired in 2021 following a loss against Yordenis Ugas.
What is Pacquiao's boxing style?
Pacquiao is a two-handed fighter. However, he transformed his style from a fearless brawler to a methodical boxer-puncher.
Which fight of Manny is considered one of the best fights of his career?
The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto is regarded as one of the best fights of his career.
