Manny Pacquiao Biography

Manny Pacquiao, popularly known as Pac-Man, is a Filipino boxer, media celebrity, and politician. He is the first and the only eight-division boxing champion in the world. Pacquiao has won many world titles and is also the first boxer to win lineal championships in four separate categories. His rise from poverty to world-wide fame is a remarkable story. Pacquiao is immensely popular in the Philippines and stars in movies, advertisements, TV shows, and even has his image on a postage stamp. ‘The Ring’ magazine has named him ‘Fighter of the Year’ three times. Some of the biggest sporting news and boxing websites like ESPN, ‘Sports Illustrated,’ ‘Sporting Life,’ ‘Yahoo! Sports,’ and ‘BoxRec’ have rated him the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Pacquiao is also the head coach of the basketball team ‘Mahindra Enforcers.’ He secured the 11th position in the first round of the 2014 PBA draft, thus becoming the oldest rookie to be drafted into the ‘Philippine Basketball Association.’ He represented the province of Sarangani in the 15th and 16th Congress of the Philippines and was elected to the House of Representatives on both occasions. Manny Pacquiao is one of the highest paid athletes in the world.

Quick Facts

Nick Name: PacMan

Also Known As: Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao

Age: 44 Years, 44 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Jinkee Pacquiao

father: Rosalio Pacquiao

mother: Dionesia Dapidran-Pacquiao

siblings: Bobby Pacquiao, Domingo Silvestre, Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, Liza Silvestre-Onding, Rogelio Pacquiao

children: Emmanuel Pacquiao Jr, Israel Paquiao, Mary Divine Grace Pacquiao, Michael Pacquiao, Princess Pacquiao, Queen Elizabeth Pacquiao

Born Country: Philippines

Height: 5’5" (165 cm), 5’5" Males

Notable Alumni: University Of Makati, Notre Dame Of Dadiangas University

More Facts

education: Notre Dame Of Dadiangas University, University Of Makati

Childhood & Early Life

Manny Pacquiao was born Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao on December 17, 1978, in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines, to Rosalio Pacquiao and Dionisia Dapidran-Pacquiao. He is his parents’ fourth child.

His parents divorced when he was in sixth grade at school.

Manny completed his elementary education at ‘Saavedra Saway Elementary School’ in General Santos City.

He dropped out of high school due to poverty and left home at the age of 14.

Career

At the age of 14, Pacquiao moved to Manila where he became part of the Philippine national amateur boxing team. He has an amateur record of 60-4.

On January 22, 1995, Pacquiao made his professional debut in a four-round bout in the light flyweight division against Edmund "Enting" Ignacio and won.

His first major boxing honor came in December 1998, when he won a bout against Chatchai Sasakul of Thailand and earned the ‘World Boxing Council’ (WBC) flyweight title.

On June 23, 2001, Manny faced Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the ‘International Boxing Federation’ (IBF) junior featherweight title and won by a technical knockout. This was his second major boxing title, which he defended four times.

On November 15, 2003, in a career-defining fight for the Lineal and The Ring Featherweight championship in Texas, he defeated Marco Antonio through a technical knockout. He defended this title twice.

On May 8, 2004, Manny faced Juan Manuel, the holder of WBA and IBF featherweight titles, in Las Vegas. This bout was scored a draw.

On March 19, 2005, Manny fought the Mexican legend Erik Morales for the WBC international and IBA super featherweight titles in the super featherweight division. He lost the 12-round match, but defeated Morales in a rematch that took place on January 21, 2006, in Las Vegas.

In July 2006, he defended his WBC international title against Oscar Larios and won.

In June 2008, Manny fought for the WBC lightweight title and won the title by defeating David Diaz in the ninth round via knockout.

On December 6, 2008, he defeated Oscar De La Hoya, the six-division world champion, in the welterweight division.

In May 2009, he defeated Ricky Hatton and won The Ring’s junior welterweight title.

On November 14, 2009, in a fight termed ‘Firepower,’ Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto via technical knockout in the twelfth round at the ‘MGM Grand,’ Las Vegas, and won the WBO welterweight title.

On June 9, 2012, Manny Pacquiao faced Timothy Bradley to defend his WBO welterweight title in a 12-round fight. Bradley won the fight.

Manny Pacquiao faced Timothy Bradley again on April 12, 2014, at the ‘Grand Garden Arena’ in Nevada. This time, Pacquiao won and re-established himself as a strong fighter.

Pacquiao’s successful foray into politics happened on May 13, 2010, with him being proclaimed congressman of the Sarangani district. In the 2013 elections, he ran unopposed for his second term as a congressman.

Pacquiao became the oldest rookie to be drafted in the ‘Philippine Basketball Association’ when he was picked as the 11th overall in the first round of the 2014 PBA draft by ‘Kia’ basketball team.

In May 2016, the Commission of Elections announced Pacquiao as one of the winners of the Philippine Senate seat.

Pacquiao signed with Al Haymon’s ‘Premier Boxing Champions’ (PBC) promotion in October 2018. In July 2019, he won the WBA (Super) welterweight title.

Awards & Achievements

By winning the Lineal and The Ring featherweight championship, he became the first Asian and Filipino to be a three-division world champion.

Manny Pacquiao also became the first Filipino and Asian to become a five-division world champion and the first Filipino boxer to win a world title in the lightweight division.

On December 22, 2008, he was awarded the ‘Philippine Legion of Honor’ with the rank of Officer “for winning four world titles in different weight divisions and for being the best fighter in the world in his time.”

On November 20, 2009, President Macapagal-Arroyo conferred upon Pacquiao the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu with Gold distinction for winning his seventh weight division world title.

He was named ‘Fighter of the Decade’ (2000s) by the ‘Boxing Writers Association of America’ (BWAA), ‘World Boxing Council’ (WBC), and ‘World Boxing Organization’ (WBO).

Manny Pacquiao has received several awards, including the ‘Best Fighter ESPY Award’ (2009 & 2011), ‘PSA Sportsman of the Year’ (2000-2009), ‘WBO Fighter of the Year’ (2010), ‘ESPN Fighter of the Year’ (2006, 2008 & 2009) and ‘The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year’ (2006, 2008 & 2009).

The 2009 and 2015 issues of ‘Forbes’ magazine named Pacquiao as the ‘World’s Highest-Paid Athlete’ (ranked 6th and 2nd respectively). In 2009, he was also listed among the 100 most influential people by ‘TIME.’

In 2019, ‘Forbes’ magazine ranked Pacquiao as one of the ‘Highest-Paid Athletes of the Decade’ (ranked 8th).

Personal Life & Legacy

Pacquiao is married to Maria Geraldine "Jinkee" Jamora, and they have fivechildren: Emmanuel Jr. "Jimuel," Michael, Princess, Queen Elizabeth "Queenie," and Israel.

The couple now officially resides in Kiamba, Sarangani, Maria’s hometown.

In February 2007, he cleared a high school equivalency exam, which made him eligible for college education.

Pacquiao graduated from the ‘University of Makati’ in Makati City with a bachelor’s degree in political science, majoring in local government administration, on December 11, 2019.

Trivia

Manny Pacquiao has acted in several movies like ‘Lisensyadong Kamao’ (2005), ‘Anak ng Kumander’ (2008), ‘Brown Soup Thing’ (2008), ‘Wapakman’ (2009), and ‘Manny’ (2015).

He has also released several music albums, such as ‘Laban Nating Lahat Ito’ (2006), ‘ac-Man Punch’ (2007), and ‘Lalaban Ako Para Sa Pilipino’ (2015).

Follow Manny Pacquiao On:

Facebook

Twitter LinkTwitter

YouTube LinkYouTube

Instagram LinkInstagram