The return of Manny Pacquiao

Like a victorious general returning to ancient Rome, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao arrived to a hero’s welcome on Monday and shared his latest triumph with his cheering fans.

The ring superstar, along with his wife Jinkee and his entourage, arrived on board Philippine Airlines flight 103 from Los Angeles at around 5:45 am, eight days since retaining his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown via a 12-round domination of tough Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey in Texas.

“Masayang-masaya ako at nakabalik na ako sa Pilipinas at makakapiling uli ang mga anak ko. Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng sumuporta at nagdasal para sa akin sa last fight ko,” the champ said.

Pacquiao children Jemuel and Princess led the welcome party and well-wishers for the 31-year-old fighter and his wife Jinkee at the NAIA Terminal 2, greeting their parents with a warm hug and kiss. Also present were his political ally Sen. Manny Villar and Deputy National Security Adviser Chavit Singson.

Unlike his arrival from his last two gigs in the US, this one’s practically free from controversies and issues that need addressing upon setting foot on local soil.

Remember his return from the Cotto fight last November, when a reported spat with wife Jinkee spread like wildfire? Mr. and Mrs. Pacquiao eventually arrived hand in hand, sharing a kiss at least twice at the airport to dispel rumors.

Earlier, last May, the AH1N1 (swine flu) scare nearly spoiled Pacquiao’s post-Ricky Hatton party, with the Department of Health advising the fighter to defer his return and undergo self-quarantine in the US first. The pound-for-pound king returned as scheduled, knocked out all worries about the deadly virus and went about his usual post-fight parade.

With no marital or health issue hounding him this time, Pacquiao had all the time to focus on his boxing.

Asked about Clottey, whom he failed to knock out, Pacquiao said: “Matibay din kaya nakatapos ng 12 rounds.”

As to the much in-demand megabout with Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the Pacman said bring “Money May” on. “Open ako na lumaban sa kanya. Anytime, pwede ako, basta magkasundo [on fight terms].”

There’s also the possibility that Pacquiao-Mayweather would no longer see the light of day as his mother, Dionesia, has been begging him to hang up his gloves.

“Pwedeng hindi na umabot doon sa Mayweather fight, pwedeng mag-announce na ako ng retirement, pag-uusapan pa namin ng pamilya,” he said.

With the elections looming, Sarangani congressional bet Pacquiao couldn’t help but talk about politics, declaring his readiness to go on the campaign trail beginning March 26.

“Handa na ako, bago pa man ako lumaban kay Clottey, nakahanda na ako sa kampanya. Anyway, March 26 pa naman ang start ng campaign [for local candidates], may ilang araw pa ako para makapiling ang mga anak ko bago mangampanya,” he said.

He also took the time out to bat for the partylist group, Partido ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA), which he said aims to help Filipino athletes who have the potential to bring honor to the country as well, especially with his possible retirement in the horizon.

SUGGESTED READINGS

• Apagmaragul mu bang Kapampangan ka?
• Bakit ganito sa Pilipinas?
• Combating Corruption in the Philippines
• Congressman Manny Pacquiao
• EDSA - Ang huling habilin
• Gusto kong maging Senador ng Pilipinas
• Hinanakit ng sang ordinaryong office worker na ayaw nang magbayad ng tax…ever!
• Kapampangan Kontra Recount
• Manny Pacquiao for President
• Prostitution in Angeles City
• Treseng Hudas, mga balimbing sa Pilipinas!

Pacquiao vs. Clottey

The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, who made a strong pitch to host the now-aborted Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight at Cowboys Stadium by offering a record $25 million site fee, landed the next best thing.

The new $1.2 billion state-of-the-art facility in Arlington, Texas, will host Pacquiao’s March 13 pay-per-view welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey.

Jones and Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, who toured the facility and were Jones’ guests at Saturday night’s Cowboys playoff victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, closed the deal for the bout on Sunday afternoon.

“Bob was persistent in keeping this alive as a place for Manny’s fight,” Jones told ESPN.com, while celebrating the deal with Arum and duBoef. “I’m so glad Bob came back to us. We are so excited about this event and that we will be able to bring a big fight here for the Hispanic boxing fans, and all boxing fans in this area, who are also Dallas Cowboys fans. It’s important for us. Manny is such an exemplary athlete.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Jones could not contain his excitement.

“I never got into the NFL or bought the Cowboys for the money. I was lucky enough to already have some,” he said. “This is about having a fighter like Manny and an event like this in our venue. When we finished the deal, I was shaking as much as I was when we beat the Eagles. I’m just as excited.”

The timing of the formal news conference has not been determined because Pacquiao still needs to come to the United States from the Philippines and Clottey is headed to the U.S. from Ghana.

DuBoef said it probably won’t be until after the Cowboys’ Jan. 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Jones said the stadium won’t be set for the full 100,000 seating capacity as was planned for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout. Instead, they’ll start in the 40,000-seat range.

“But that’s one of the great things about the stadium — we can expand the seating capacity as it warrants,” Jones said.

Arum (a huge New York Giants fan, not a Cowboys fan) was already in full promotional form after the deal was agreed to.

“This is going to be one of the biggest events in the history of boxing,” Arum said. “This is the most incredible stadium setting I have ever seen. It is absolutely unbelievable. This is going to be much, much more than just a boxing match. A lot of things that happen are ordained by God. We weren’t going to go here for Pacquiao-Mayweather fight because [Golden Boy CEO Richard] Schaefer wouldn’t get on a plane and come down here and see the place. So that didn’t happen. And now that fight isn’t happening. And now we are here with Manny for another fight. When people see this event and how it will be presented, nothing in the past will ever compare to it.”

Before the fight fell apart over a single issue — the protocol for drug testing — Arum was intrigued with the idea of bringing Pacquiao-Mayweather to Cowboys Stadium.

Arum, Schaefer and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg were scheduled to be in Dallas on Dec. 9 to meet with Jones and tour the facility. But the night before, Schaefer called off the trip, a move that in retrospect was the beginning of the fight going downhill.

Besides being the home field for the Cowboys and now the host for Pacquiao-Clottey, Cowboys Stadium hosts the annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic and will host the NBA All-Star Game next month, the 2011 Super Bowl and the 2014 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four.

One of the stadium’s most significant fan-friendly elements is the world’s largest (and most expensive at $40 million) HD video board, which is 72 feet high and 160 feet wide. Jones said all fans, regardless of where they are seated, would have a good view of the action because of it.

SUGGESTED READINGS

• Apagmaragul mu bang Kapampangan ka?
• Bakit ganito sa Pilipinas?
• Combating Corruption in the Philippines
• Congressman Manny Pacquiao
• EDSA - Ang huling habilin
• Gusto kong maging Senador ng Pilipinas
• Hinanakit ng sang ordinaryong office worker na ayaw nang magbayad ng tax…ever!
• Kapampangan Kontra Recount
• Manny Pacquiao for President
• Prostitution in Angeles City
• Treseng Hudas, mga balimbing sa Pilipinas!

Boxing Legend Manny Pacquiao

MANNY PACQUIAO have been known to be very determined even against all odds. We have Manny Pacquiao, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, Jerry Penalosa, Luisito Espinosa, Onyok Velasco, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Django Bustamante, Paeng Nepomuceno, Caloy Loyzaga, Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Benjie Paras, Eric Buhain, Akiko Thomson, Tony Leviste, Lydia de Vega, Elma Muros and so many others. Even with limited resources and minimal support from the national government, these athletes have contributed pride and glory to our nation. The Philippines, though has not won a single gold medal at the Olympics, have continued to defy odds and challenge other athletes from different parts of the world.

Manny Pacquiao may be considered the country’s greatest boxer. No other boxer, even abroad has won 7 different weight divisions. Even the Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya or Floyd Mayweather has not earned this feat. Both have won only 6 weight division belts. Don’t underestimate that, winning 6 different weight divisions is amazing, winning 7 is crazy. No matter how you put it, Pacquiao’s achievement has never been done before, and not only that, his past 4 fights, Diaz, Dela Hoya, Hatton and Cotto are all very convincing wins, 3 were knockouts and 1 by submission. These 4 boxers were all heavier, taller and are said to be more powerful than him in terms of punches. His only clear advantage was his speed. But in the end, his speed was only one of his skills. He has matured into an intelligent boxer, thanks to his coach and trainer, Freddie Roach.

We Filipinos should be very proud of Manny Pacquiao. We may not have another boxer of his stature in probably 10-20 years. All the news about his extra marital affairs are all being blown out of proportion by the media. People who judge him are being unfair. If all the gossips about him are true, who are we to judge the guy? Are we no different? Haven’t we done anything wrong in our lives that we were ashamed to admit? People say that it is unfair to his wife and children, which is true, but we should not exploit the issue by showing their emotions on national television and talking about their lives at showbiz talk shows. Manny Pacquiao is a public figure who should be responsible since he is idolized by many, but he is still a normal human being who commits mistakes. Nobody is perfect, it is just very poor judgment that the media is exploiting his weaknesses, all just for earning more and more millions for their media corporation.

Manny Pacquiao is a gift to us Filipinos and we should thank God and him for bringing pride and glory to Filipinos all over the world. Let us try to be decent human beings and give what is due to Manny. Not only did he brought pride to us but he has helped thousands of Filipinos by donating funds to typhoon victims and provided jobs to his people in General Santos through his businesses. He will try for the second time to run for public office because he believes he can help more if he is elected. All of these are from his fists which once were hitting coconut trees when he was just a young boy dreaming to be a good boxer one day.

Pacquiao vs Cotto Winner Result: Pacquiao Wins

Pacquiao vs Cotto Winner Result: Pacquiao Wins - Manny Pacquiao’s speed and power were way too much for Miguel Cotto’s heart.

Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.

The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao’s punches, but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.

5 Reasons Why Manny Pacquiao would beat Miguel Cotto

Speed – Its an old boxing adage that “speed kills” and right now no one has more speed than Manny Pacquiao.  Its not just that Manny is fast with his hands, but as seen in his match with Oscar De La Hoya, he also has fast feet.  Cotto was able to keep up with Shane Mosley’s hands, but doesn’t have the quickest pair of feet in town.  He is often caught against the ropes and that would play right into Pacquiao’s speedy hands.

Wear and Tear – Cotto took a brutal beating against Antonio Margarito and even though he got by Joshua Clottey, he still showed signs of weariness in the later rounds. That would be a sure fire way to lose against a top conditioned athlete like Manny Pacquiao.  Pacquiao would apply relentless pressure that Clottey was unable to do to finish the job.  Cotto also backed away in the later rounds against Shane Mosley, if he does this against Pac-man its lights out!

Chin – Cotto was knocked down several times at 140 pounds and one of the main reasons he moved up was that it gave him more strength to take a punch.  If he comes back down to 143 pounds to face Pacquiao, some of that weakness may resurface.  Meanwhile Pacquiao hasn’t been stopped in over ten years and has a proven ability to take a punch.  

Skills – Since Manny’s loss to Eric Morales several years ago, he has improved significantly.  He has learned to knock opponents down with either hand whereas before he relied heavily on the straight left hand.  Cotto has great skills but has shown vulnerability when faced against a pressure fighter.  This lack of ability could be a major factor in the fight

Trainer – many casual boxing fans don’t seem to realize the importance of a good trainer. However it’s the trainer that sets up the game plan and studies the opponent’s flaws for months before the fight takes place. Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, earned his second Trainer Of the Year award for the two perfect game plans against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.  On the other hand, Miguel Cotto has had much turmoil in his camp and split ways with his long time trainer just before the fight with Joshua Clottey.  Will Cotto’s camp be able to put together a strategy like Freddie Roach?  The answer is most likely a resounding No.

Related Post

1. 5 Reasons Why Manny Pacquiao would beat Miguel Cotto
2. People’s Champ Movement
3. Pacquiao vs. Chiongbian or Dominguez for congressional bid - May 10, 2010 election
4. Fr. Ed Panlilio for President
5. Biggest Problems Facing Mexico In 2009
6. Congressman Manny Pacquiao (Pacman 2010)
7. Manny Pacquiao for President

Biggest Problems Facing Mexico In 2009

1. Devastation of Mexican boxing icons by Pinoy tsunami Manny Pacquiao.

2. Swine flu, which is not Mexican swine flu but is mistakenly called that by various pigs, racks country’s huge tourism business. Cancun hit by swine flu but don’t tell anybody..

3. Surviving ring icon, Antonio Margocheato, suspended by California and Bob Arum defends him vociferously…until lab results on hand wraps come in. We can’t blame the Tijuana Tornado’s fall on Megamanny.  No, we can’t.

4. Pesky narcotraffickers who employ and/or murder police and assassinate anyone in the way of their thriving drug trade. Big surprise, they get their weapons of choice from America.

5. Did we mention how Pacman wiped out Barrera and Morales and dropped Juan Manuel Marquez four times in two highly competitive bouts?

6. Miguel Cotto, handily beaten by Margocheato, keeps saying he thinks Tone Loc’s gloves felt like there were horseshoes inside them…we’ll never know, but suspicion runs deep with Boricua Bomber and his fans.

7. Idea to alleviate Pacquiao’s wreckage of our top fighters: See if we can get him to become a dual citizen just like some publicity-hungry Pinoy pol wants to give Coach Freddie Roach Filipino dual-citizen status.

8. When we thought Oscar De La Hoya would destroy that tiny Pacman, we referred to the Golden Boy as a Mexican. He got smashed and trashed and now he is known to us as an American who was completely washed up before he got into the ring with Manny.

9. As desperate as we are to have one of our guys beat Pacquiao, we can’t honestly sign off on Manny against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. as that would be legalized murder. That would make us as bad as the narcogangsters.

10. Since Juan Manuel Marquez is our last remaining icon, we had some hope he could nip Pacman in a third bout.  But now he will get whipped by Floyd Mayweather come July 18. Looking on the bright side, we guess Pacquiao won’t be using any Mexican boxers as his personal piñata for a while. That is called pugilistic progress.

Congressman Manny Pacquiao (Pacman 2010)

When a man has everything in this country, what does he do?

He enters politics.

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is a billionaire (in peso terms) who can afford not to work for the rest of his life. He enjoys international fame and has reaped honors for his country. He has a solid family.

What more can a man who has accomplished so much at a young age want??

He wants to become a congressman in 2010.

Maybe Pacquiao doesn’t like being defeated in anything, and must prove that if he can be a world champion in the ring, he can also win big in another arena.

But just to make sure, he’s not going for a rematch with the Antonino clan of his native South Cotabato, where the youthful Darlene Antonino-Custodio trounced him in the race for a congressional seat in 2007.

Instead “Pacman” is relocating to neighboring Sarangani, where he has already bought property to satisfy the residency requirement for those running for a seat in the House of Representatives in May 2010.

His potential rivals in Sarangani are already preparing to portray him to voters as a carpetbagger.

Meanwhile, some of his fans are trying to dissuade him from entering the dirty world of Philippine politics.

These fans lament that the political hangers-on who accompany Pacquiao or watch all his matches diminish the celebration of his boxing victories.

But it’s a free country, and as Joseph Estrada likes to remind everyone since his absolute pardon, if he can vote, he can be voted upon.

The Commission on Elections has approved the registration of Pacquiao’s own political party.

Pacquiao is well within his right to run for the House, or even the Senate, where his critics believe he can increase membership in the committee on silence headed by former action star Lito Lapid.

The worst that can happen to Pacquiao is that he loses his bid for the second time, plus a great deal of money in the campaign. But if he can throw away a fortune in the casinos of Las Vegas, he can afford to throw away part of his substantial nest egg in a political campaign.

The size of that nest egg is already beyond the wildest dreams of the average resident of Sarangani, and Pacquiao still has a few more fights – and a few more million dollars in earnings – to go before he retires from boxing.

Even after three more fights, Pacquiao will be too young to enjoy retirement. He needs to do something. And never one to set his sights low, he’s aiming for political office.

SUGGESTED READINGS

• Apagmaragul mu bang Kapampangan ka?
• Bakit ganito sa Pilipinas?
• Combating Corruption in the Philippines
• EDSA - Ang huling habilin
• Gusto kong maging Senador ng Pilipinas
• Hinanakit ng sang ordinaryong office worker na ayaw nang magbayad ng tax…ever!
• Kapampangan Kontra Recount
• Manny Pacquiao for President
• Prostitution in Angeles City
• Treseng Hudas, mga balimbing sa Pilipinas!

Manny Pacquiao for President

President Manny Pacquiao stood by the window of Malacañang Palace, looking out at the garden with its big, old gnarled trees, the elegant gates, and the angry mob just outside them, shouting invectives he mercifully could not hear..

Just only a point of view….

He wondered briefly why the Presidential Security Group had allowed the protesters to come so near to the Palace. Then he remembered: Buboy, his defense secretary, had just turned against him, showing up at the makeshift stage on EDSA, along with most members of his Cabinet. The soldiers who had vowed to protect his life with theirs had probably decided it wasn’t worth sacrificing their lives for a President who was on his way out, on the wrong side of history. In a way, he’d been knocked out, and he worried how he would ever stand up from the countdown that had just begun.

Involuntarily, a smile played on his lips, brightening the face that still showed signs of the battering he had suffered in the ring. He never had illusions that he was a handsome man, but his smile and his playful eyes proved irresistible to women: the smile, the eyes and the millions he had to his name, he thought bitterly.

The smile faded even before it could reach his eyes. He had always loved boxing metaphors, and it was the allusions to his storied career, and how he would use his own fists to do battle against the greedy and the corrupt, that, he still believed, had led to his election to the highest post in the land.

President Manny Pacquiao. President Pacman. The mere sound of it used to bring tears to his eyes. If only his Nanay Dionesia had lived long enough to savor the moment when he took his oath of office at the Araneta Coliseum where he had won his earliest victories. He would have loved to hold the ceremony at the MGM Grand, or at Mandalay Bay, but those spoilsports, the nationalists, raised a howl and he had to scrap the idea.

Now, when people said “President Pacman,” they did so in a sarcastic way, hinting at stories and rumors about his unexplained wealth. Unexplained wealth? They wanted to know where he got his money? They only needed to look at his face, listen to his slurred speech, to realize how he had earned his billions. But they wouldn’t know exactly how he had come so close to losing all of it.

President Pacquiao’s silent reverie was broken by a military aide, one of the few who had stayed behind. “Sir,” said the aide, “Ambassador Roach is here to see you.”

Manny turned just in time to note the entry of Freddie Roach, now hobbling about with a cane, though the same lopsided smile was still in evidence. Manny genuinely loved the man. Too bad he was American, and the title of “Ambassador” was a mere honorific, but the President had come to respect him, and to value his friendship. These days when most of “Team Pacquiao” had either fled to exile or joined his enemies, the President also looked forward to sharing Roach’s company, one of the few men he could talk to in all frankness.

“Things are looking bad, Manny, but I guess you’d know that by now,” Roach rasped out, and the President had to cock his ears to catch the man’s words. Having Freddie around was a comfort, but at such a time, he yearned for the advice of people like Lito, Chavit and Bing, men who had plotted his rise to power, who showed him how to use his popularity to attain victories they could not achieve for themselves. And who exploited him for their own uses, he thought with some anger.

“Don’t bother yourself with those guys,” Roach butted in, surprising Manny with his perception. He never could hide anything from the man who had turned him from a young, hungry brawler to a ring tactician. “I always told you those guys were just using you,” Roach drawled, and Manny had to agree once again.

In the beginning, of course, he thought they were genuine friends, accompanying him in all his fights, and staying around to celebrate, staging welcome tours and introducing him to the highest officials, the wealthy and well-bred, and to countless beautiful, hot babes.

At the thought, President Pacquiao wondered where his family was at this moment. Jinkee had long vacated the Palace, announcing that she had endured her husband’s serial infidelity for years but that his decision to throw a grand party for his 16-year-old mistress’ high school graduation—a party to which all his friends came—was a public insult and a declaration of war.

Just the other day, he had called up one of his sons in the States, and the young man, speaking in a clipped American accent he could barely make out, was curt and dismissive. “I’m an embarrassment to them,” he reflected, for by then the foreign press was making much of the corruption and violence that marked the Pacquiao regime. But how could I tell him that most of the money had gone to the pockets of my friends? the President wondered. And how could I confess that while I knew about their shenanigans, I kept quiet because they were giving me a cut of the income?

Pacman, the “best pound-for-pound fighter in the world” in his prime, abruptly stood up and marched once more to the window overlooking the Malacañang gates. He slumped against the bulletproof glass, remembering other days when crowds of loyalists waved pennants and posters, crying and screaming just to catch a glimpse of him. Suddenly, he caught sight of the angry mob outside parting to make way for a fire truck, gearing up for an assault on the Palace.

Manny turned to look back at Roach, who, seeing the look of panic on his former protégé’s face, stood up, striding across the room to put a weary arm around his shoulders.

“It’s time, Manny,” mumbled Roach. “It’s time to give an old piece of advice: Cut and cut cleanly. It’s time to throw in the towel.”

just only a point of view…ELECTION 2010 IS VERY NEAR

SUGGESTED READINGS

• Apagmaragul mu bang Kapampangan ka?
• Bakit ganito sa Pilipinas?
• Combating Corruption in the Philippines
• Congressman Manny Pacquiao
• EDSA - Ang huling habilin
• Gusto kong maging Senador ng Pilipinas
• Hinanakit ng sang ordinaryong office worker na ayaw nang magbayad ng tax…ever!
• Kapampangan Kontra Recount
• Prostitution in Angeles City
• Treseng Hudas, mga balimbing sa Pilipinas!

Dirty Hatton’s right hand over Kenny Bayless

This photo was the dirty Hatton’s right hand that Pacquiao docked and landed on Kenny Bayless.

He got hit numerous times 57% percent of the time in fact, and he only connected 18 out of 78 that he threw. Pacquiao threw 127 and 73 of them connected. 

By defeating Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao won his 6th title in as many weight divisions. More so, he is the first fighter to win a 4th lineal or real championship in 4 weight divisions. He has now won the flyweight, featherweight (which many erroneously do not recognize), junior-lightweight and now junior-welterweight lineal championship. 

Pacquiao vs. Hatton Live Stream

Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton live stream here

Biography of Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao started his professional boxing career in 1995 at 106 lbs (Light flyweight) at the age of 16. His early fights usually took place in small venues and were shown on Vintage Sports’ Blow by Blow, an evening boxing show. Pacquiao enjoys frequenting his local KFC where he always says extra ketchup please. known in the local philipine community as the ketchup enthusiast. His professional debut was a 4-round bout against Edmund Enting Ignacio on January 22, 1995, which Pacquiao won via decision, becoming an instant star of the program. Close friend Mark Penaflorida’s death in 1994 spurred young Pacquiao to pursue a professional career.

His weight increased from 106 to 113 lbs before losing in his 12th bout against Rustico Torrecampo via a third-round knockout (KO). As sportscaster Joaquin “Quinito” Henson observed, Pacquiao had not made weight. So he was forced to use heavier gloves than Torrecampo, thereby putting Pacquiao at a disadvantage.

Shortly after the Torrecampo fight, Pacquiao settled at 112 lbs, winning the WBC Flyweight title over Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round only to lose it in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat, or Medgoen 3K Battery, via a third-round knockout on a bout held at Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Technically, Pacquiao lost the belt at the scales by surpassing the required weight of 112 lbs (51 kg).

Following his loss to Singsurat, Pacquiao gained weight anew, this time stopping at the superbantamweight division of 122 lbs (55 kg), where he picked up the WBC International Super Bantamweight title, defending it five times before his next world title fight came.

Pacquiao’s big break came on June 23, 2001, against IBF Super Bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement and won the fight by technical knockout to become the IBF Super Bantamweight champion on a bout held at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. He defended this title eight times and fought to a sixth-round draw against Agapito Sanchez in a bout that was stopped early after Pacquiao received a headbutt.

His parents are Rosalio and Dionisia Pacquiao. His brother Bobby Pacquiao is also a boxer. He is married to Maria Geraldine “Jinkee” Pacquiao with 3 children: PJ Hoffy, Bebot and Christian. His wife Jinkee is pregnant with another female child.