Manny Pacquiao Story

The Story of Manny Pacquiao begins in General Santos City, Philippines. He was born on December 17th, 1978. I can't begin telling the story of Manny Pacquiao without examining the hard life of Manny Pacquiao. He was born into devastating poverty and was forced to work at a very young age after his father left the family for another woman.

Manny Pacquiao worked in the hardcore streets of General Santos City selling breads and other bakery goods. Those same streets helped in the development of the tough and relentless individual we see in the ring today. Also known as Pacman do to the way he gobbles up his rivals in the ring, Manny began fighting for a few dollars in the streets. These fights were brutal but soon Manny Pacquiao gained a reputation for being a very tough fighter, and showing incredible grit and determination when fighting opponents that were much larger than him. Even at a young age Manny displayed the speed and left handed power that has made him one of the most exciting boxers of his era.

Manny Pacquiao's mother however was not a fan. She was very religious and had hoped her son would join the priesthood. Manny's popularity increased around the city and people began taking notice of this scrawny kid with a hammer for a left hand. Without permission Manny set off to Manila to pursue his career with hopes of becoming a star in order to help his mother and family.

The story of Manny Pacquiao was still far from a fairy tale. His time in Manila was not easy. He trained for hours and had to work just as hard to earn a living. Manny worked in construction and also in the gym where he trained doing odd jobs which included janitor. Manny was undeterred and reeled of an eleven fight winning streak before tasting defeat for the very first time in 1996 vs Rustico Torrecampo who knocked Manny Pacquiao out. This was a devastating loss for Manny. The life of Manny Pacquiao could have taken a different turn after this period. He considered quitting boxing and going back home. The thoughts of going back as a failure and to continued and never ending poverty re-ignited Pacman to fight again.

He set off on another winning streak and defeated the WBC flyweight champion Chatchai Sasakul in 1998. Finally Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao had reached one of his goals and it seemed his career was about to take off. He successfully defended his crown in the very next fight but his stint as flyweight champion was short lived as he got knocked out by Medgoen Singsurat in his second title defense. Another set back in the story of Manny Pacquiao. Disappointed but undaunted Manny continued training in hopes of another big fight and opportunity.

Manny received that opportunity in June of 2001 when he faced IBF Bantamweight Champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Manny fought and impressive fight, knocking out the tough champion in the sixth round. Winning the IBF belt in Las Vegas in such impressive fashion opened a lot of doors for Manny Pacquiao in the United States which is undeniably the largest boxing market in the world. Manny Pacquiao defended his title until 2003 when he gave it up and moved to a higher weight class which included the likes of Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, three Mexican legends. He avenged a loss versus Morales and beat him in the third match which sent the great Morales into retirement. He fought and destroyed Barrera and then faced Juan Manuel Marquez in a truly exciting bout. Marques was dropped three times in the first round and fought valiantly to get a draw. In the rematch Pacquiao was awarded what many considered a controversial win.

WBC Lightweight title

On June 28, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Pacquiao defeated David Díaz via ninth round knockout, to become the WBC World lightweight champion. With the victory, Pacquiao became the only Filipino and Asian boxer to win five world titles in five different weight classes, and also became the first Filipino fighter to ever win a world title at lightweight.During the fight, which Pacquiao dominated, Díaz was cut badly on his right eye in the fourth round. After the bout, Díaz acknowledged Pacquiao's superior hand speed, stating: "It was his speed. It was all his speed. I could see the punches perfectly, but he was just too fast."

Bob Arum reported that the fight had made 12.5 million dollars (250,000 pay-per-view subscriptions at $49.95 each),[citation needed] earning Díaz his best payday of 850,000 dollars, whilst Pacquiao earned at least 3 million dollars. Official records revealed an attendance of 8,362 (out of a maximum capacity of 12,000).

Holding both the WBC super featherweight and lightweight titles following the win, Pacquiao decided to vacate his super featherweight title in July 2008.

Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya

On December 6, 2008, Pacquiao faced Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, in a fight called "The Dream Match". Pacquiao dominated the fight for eight rounds, forcing De La Hoya's corner to throw in the towel before the start of the ninth round, awarding Pacquiao the win via technical knockout.

Pacquiao was ahead on all three judges' scorecards before the stoppage, with two judges scoring the fight at 80-71 and one scoring it at 79-72.[36] Moreover, Pacquiao landed 224 out of 585 punches, whilst De La Hoya landed only 83 out of 402 punches. After the bout, trainer Freddie Roach stated: "We knew we had him after the first round. He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot." The fight would be De La Hoya's last, as he announced his retirement from boxing shortly after.

Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, the bout was scheduled as a twelve round, non-title fight contested at the 147 pound welterweight limit. Although Pacquiao went into the fight widely recognized as the leading pound-for-pound boxer in the world, some boxing pundits had speculated that 147 pounds could be too far above his natural weight against the larger De La Hoya.

Pacquiao received 15 to 30 million dollars (share of the pay-per-view), plus a guaranteed amount. Tickets reportedly sold out just hours after they went on sale. Moreover, the total gate revenue for the fight was said to be nearly 17 million dollars, making it the second largest gate revenue in boxing history.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton

On May 2, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Ricky Hatton to claim the IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight titles (as well as the lineal light welterweight title), at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, in a fight billed as "The Battle of the East and West".

The fight was originally placed in jeopardy due to disputes with both camps over the fight purse money. Eventually, the money issue was settled and the fight went on as scheduled. HBO aired the contest.

Pacquiao started the fight strong, knocking down a sluggish Hatton twice in the first round. A somewhat shaken Hatton beat the count, only to be saved by the bell seconds later. In the second round Hatton seemed to have recovered, as he stalked Pacquiao for most of the round. However, with less than ten seconds remaining in the second round, Hatton was knocked out cold by a sharp left hook, prompting the referee to award Pacquiao the win by knockout (at 2:59 of the round).

Pacquiao vs. Cotto (My Birthday)

On November 14, 2009, Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto via technical knockout in the twelfth round, at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, in a fight billed as "Firepower".

With this victory, Pacquiao took the WBO World welterweight title, to become the first fighter in boxing history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions. After the fight, promoter Bob Arum stated: "Pacquiao is the greatest boxer I've ever seen, and I've seen them all, including Ali, Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard."

The fight generated 1.25 million buys and 70 million dollars in domestic pay-per-view revenue, making it the most watched boxing event of 2009. Pacquiao earned around 22 million dollars for his part in the fight, whilst Cotto earned around 12 million dollars. Pacquiao–Cotto also generated a live gate of $8,847,550 from an official crowd of 15,930.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather

Pacquiao has reportedly agreed to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on March 13, 2010, for a split of $50 million up front, at a United States venue yet to be decided.

Pacquiao and his family

Pacquiao and his family currently resides in his home town General Santos City, South Cotabato, Philippines. he is married to Jinkee Pacquiao, and they have four children. Pacquiao received only an elementary school education. Recently, he took a high school equivalency exam, which he passed, and enrolled for a college degree at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University.He is also a military reservist with the rank of sergeant major.