Manny Pacquiao: Biography
Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao is a Filipino former professional boxer, showbiz and entertainment personality, former basketball player and coach and an outgoing senator of the Philippines in the 17th Congress, having served his full term from 2016 to 2022.
Born in Kibawe, Bukidnon on December 17, 1978, Pacquiao was raised in General Santos, which was also the home of fellow Filipino boxing stalwarts such as Nonito Donaire and Rolando Navarrete. A fourth of the six siblings from his mother Dionisia and father Rosalion (who eventually separated), Pacquiao has a younger brother named Bobby who is also a former boxer like him.
Pacquiao married the then Jinkee Jamora, a mall sales attendant, in 1999 and they now have five children, with Jimuel following his father’s footsteps while his other son Michael is an aspiring rap artist.
Boxing Career
Pacquiao is regarded as one of the greatest boxers to have graced the ring, having been a twelve-time World Champion in eight different weight categories in a career spanning from 1995 to 2021. Also, he is the lone fighter to have held world championships in four different decades.
He made his pro debut in 1995, as he was the face of the television program Blow by Blow in the Philippines which broadcasted his first fights there.
He then won his first world title in 1998 after knocking out Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round to take his WBC and lineal flyweight belts. Three years later, he made his American debut on a short notice to snatch the IBF Super bantamweight crown away Lehlohonolo Ledwaba with a sixth-round TKO.
But his career-defining moment came in 2003, when he upset Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in Texas to claim the lineal featherweight title. The eleventh-round stoppage made Pacquiao a global sensation.
He became known for his rivalries with Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, as he fought them thrice and four times, respectively in his career with multiple championship belts on the line.
Pacquiao retired a month after his last bout, which was a unanimous decision defeat to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas in August 2021. He has a career record of 62 wins (39 knockouts), eight defeats and two draws.
Photos details: Both boxing legendaries, Manny Pacquiao from The Philippines and Chris John from Indonesia share the photo session together when Pacquiao visited Indonesia. John posted his thought through his official Instagram account regarding Manny Pacquiao’s retirement.
Basketball career
Pacquiao also entered the basketball scene in 2014, with him being appointed as the inaugural head coach of Kia (now TerraFirma Dyip) of the PBA and later became a player when the said franchise took him 11th in the draft.
He then spent three years with the said franchise, which his stint ended in 2017.
The following year, he founded his own league, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League with emphasis on regional-based teams. The MPBL became an instant hit in each of the three seasons, as it is currently playing its fourth campaign.
Politics
Pacquiao entered the political arena in 2007, when he ran and lost to Darlene Antonino Custodio in the South Cotabato congressional race.
Three years later, he became a dynasty killer when he defeated Roy Chongbian for the right to represent the lone Sarangani House seat in the 15th Congress and retained it in 2013.
In 2016, Pacquiao entered the senate race as a candidate for Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance and won by finishing 7th, joining the 17th Congress.
He then ran in the 2022 presidential race, but only finished third.
