A recent interviewer of Manny Pacquiao had a great deal of trouble pinning him down to talk, since he is a small man who is always on the move. He has been very popular in the United States, even among people who don’t follow boxing. Maybe it’s his “never say die” attitude, since that is something many Americans share.
Pacquiao has fans that don’t even watch boxing. They are fans of the man and the mystery. He has speed in the ring that is indescribable, and he carries some of the disbelief outside the ring. Boxers have optimum weights that will result in trading off of power and speed. This is especially noticeable in lightweight divisions. But Manny Pacquiao has come into fights in many weight classes, and his supernatural speed has allowed him to win.
Pacquiao was born in the Philippines in 1978. He’s married and has four kids. He certainly doesn’t look like a family man in the ring, but he is, very much so. He also serves as a congressman in the Philippines. He is Roman Catholic, and is often seen in the ring making the sign of the cross. Pacquiao is in the military reserves of his country, with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Manny Pacquiao left high school without graduating, due to the poverty in which his family lived. But he has since studied and received his high school equivalency, and he studied business management at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University in General Santos City.
The small-statured man began boxing as an amateur at age 14, living sometimes on the streets. He made the Philippine team for amateurs and his unofficial record as an amateur was 60-4. He began professional boxing in 1995, weighing 98 pounds and standing at 4’11”. His fights were carried on an evening boxing show, and he became a star at that level almost immediately.
Pacquiao lost his 12th fight since he was underweight and had to use heavier gloves than his opponent, Rustico Torrecampo. After that, he would go undefeated for 15 fights in a row. After these and two non-title fights, he would fight for his first world title.
Manny Pacquiao won the WBC Flyweight title with a knockout, and defended the title with a TKO in his next bout. Pacquiao gained some weight and went straight to super bantamweight, picking up the WBC International title for the weight class. He successfully defended that title five times, and then got a shot at a world title fight.
As a featherweight, Pacquiao won The Ring and the Lineal Featherweight Championships. He was a three-time champ and he had done it in three different divisions. He would defend the latest title two times before he relinquished it in 2005.
Pacquiao was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit in the Philippines, and the Congressional Medal of Achievement. He is the only sportsman to receive the honor from the Philippine House of Representatives.
Pacquiao would continue to move up in weight classes, ending bouts with knockouts against some fighters who had previously never been knocked out. As a lightweight, he defeated David Diaz and took the WBC title. He would go on to defeat Miguel Cotto to take the WBO Welterweight title. He is the first world champ in eight different divisions.