Pacman’s Fight towards Fame and Fortune
December 6, 2008 has undoubtedly made its mark in history- it being the date where famed Filipino boxer Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao bolstered his status as Boxing’s pound-for-pound king and celebrated Filipino boxer.
Like many, I stayed glued to my seat during the much-talked about bout between Pacquiao and Dela Hoya. Prior to the fight, Dela Hoya, the Mexican-American Goldenboy of boxing, was regarded to have an advantageous stand compared to Manny. He has been credited for his powerful punches and lengthy experience in the field. No doubt many of my friends gambled in favor of the Goldenboy. Only to find themselves short of a thousand pesos after Pacman effortlessly thrived and emerged victorious.
I am no boxing aficionado. However, just as in any other sport like basketball, I enjoy watching the game together with the barkada. But more than that, I have probably become one with my countrymen in supporting and praying for our modern day hero ‘Pacman’. Indeed, Pacman’s exceptional courage and strength made him a champion in many respects. But beyond a champion, he is, for many struggling Filipinos, an inspiration. A living proof that miracles do happen. That with the right timing, right opportunity, and right attitude, we can discover what we can be ‘the best in the world’ at, and eventually, gain financial freedom out of it. To many dreamers, believers, and hopefuls, I have researched a brief account of Manny’s successes and failures, as he trodded his way towards becoming one of the richest Filipino boxers of all time.
Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, aka Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, was born in a typical poverty-stricken family. Manny Pacquiao quit schooling to help out in the family’s finances, particularly when his father eloped with another woman. He braved the streets of Gen San, peddling breads and homemade doughnuts.
At a young age, he did all he could to make ends meet. He saw small time boxing matches in his hometown to be possible means to alleviate their financial situation. Somehow, he was able to bring home some money to his mother, who in turn, would buy rice or fish for the family.
Manny’s winning streaks caught the attention of boxing fanatics in the province. He was invited by one of them to go to Manila to hone his talents. He did not hesitate and eagerly asked permission of his mother. Manny sailed one day for Manila without the poor old woman’s consent for she was worried- like most mothers in the world who disallow their sons from joining the brutal world of boxing.
In the crowded city of Manila, Manny trained with admirable dedication and intensity. Thus, he kept on winning his early professional fights. However, as in any other beginner and unknown fighter, he was scantily paid- making him hardly able to send extra money back home. To augment his income, he employed himself in the gymnasium where he trained and occasionally, would do little construction work on the side.
All these workload did not hamper Manny’s will to be the best in the field. He rigorously trained. He was usually the first to come and the last to leave the gymnasium. His efforts were not futile as he earned eleven straight wins before his first professional loss to Rustico Torrecampo on February 9, 1996. Torrecampo was the only fellow Filipino to have defeated the future great champion. According to boxing analysts, the fact that Manny was forced to wear a pair of heavier gloves that would make him meet the weight limit in the category became a serious disadvantage. Manny was heartbroken that he started entertaining thoughts of giving up boxing. But as destiny would have it, he chose to continue, leaving behind the haunting memory of his first knockout defeat. His passion burned anew earning him rows of winnings against adversaries from Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
On December 24, 1998, Manny became a world champion after beating Thai Chatchai Sasakul. However, he was unable to defend this title, losing by knockout against a Thai challenger. The loss gravely hurt Manny for some of his handlers became reluctant to provide him another good fight because of his decline in marketability. Nevertheless, Manny trained harder and re-launched his career a division higher and went on to capture the super bantamweight International Boxing Federation(IBF) world belt via an impressive 6th round knockout victory against the then dreaded South African world champion, Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in June of 2001. Though bagging a meager amount, his victory catapulted his status as a boxer giving his name a mark among American boxing fans.
After a number of successes, Manny voluntarily relinquished his title for monetary and legacy reasons. He moved a division higher and challenged a famed Mexican boxer, Marco Antonio Barrera. The game proved to be a major upset for Barrera. For Manny, however, the much taked about bout brought him international fame and stardom. Along with this, his status and purse as prizefighter also underwent gastronomical changes.
Manny collected his first million dollar in a fight against another Mexican ring general, Juan Manuel Marquez that ended in a draw despite of him being floored three times in the first round, and had it not been due to a scoring error by one of the judges, Pacquiao would have captured the IBF and WBA world crown.
On March 19, 2005, another Mexican future hall of famer, Eric Morales, handed Pacquiao another defeat. But he would soon redeem himself against Morales on January 21, 2006. Nine months later, the two superstars would cross paths for the third time, but again, leading to a fatalistic result for the great Morales.
Aside from achieving extensive popularity in his native Philippines and in other countries, his trilogy with Morales acquired him wealth, which is said to be enough to support him without working in three lifetimes.
Manny was again reunited with Barrera and Marquez in separate fights. But again, their efforts proved to be no match for our very own boxing superstar.
He went on to conquer another title, this time, after beating David Diaz. His victories brought Manny among the ranks of all-time greats like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler, Oscar dela Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tito Trinidad, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Floyd Mayweather, etc., while earning at the same time the historic distinction of being the first prize fighter from Asia to have captured four world titles in four divisions.
He also became the first Filipino to have become a world champion in the relatively heavier lightweight division. Greater yet, Pacquiao is currently installed finest across all divisions by occupying the first rank of the highly coveted pound for pound list by the prestigious Ring Magazine, known as the bible of boxing.
Among all of his fights, his latest victory in the person of Goldenboy Dela Hoya undoubtedly earned him a lot more than fame and prestige. His total earnings hurled him towards the world of Filipinos’ wealthiest. His assets extend beyond his prize winnings from boxing matches. Some are sourced from his other gigs such as endorsements(Nike, EA Sports, No Fear, PLDT, San Miguel Beer, McDonalds, Alaxan and several more), , businesses(boxing promotion, cockfarm, rental properties,etc), showbiz ventures, and so on and so forth. According to New York Times, Manny earns about USD20 million a year. Finance Manila gives us an idea of how rich Manny is in terms of his boxing bouts. According to this site, he is guaranteed USD2 million for every fight courtesy of his American promoter, Bob Arum.
References:
The Rags-to-Riches Story of Manny Pacquiao http://elanso.com/ArticleModule/JXUfMbJNNiGJGTG9PUJXVcIi.html
Just how much is Manny Pacquiao worth?
http://financemanila.net/2008/12/just-how-much-is-manny-pacquiao-worth/
The Destroyer- Boxing Record http://www.mannypacquiao.ph/record/
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