Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has been a household name since the early 2000s. With an impressive record of 62 wins, 8 losses, and 2 draws, his career has had its fair share of highs and lows. However, it’s hard to deny that the Pac-Man has had one of the most impressive boxing careers of all time.
He started his career in 1995 as a scrawny teenager from the Philippines, and today he stands as an eight-division world champion – an incredible feat for any professional athlete. It’s been a long journey for Pacquiao, but throughout his illustrious career, he consistently delivered knockout performances and proved himself to be a powerful fighter who was not afraid to take risks.
Recent Years
In recent years, Pacquiao’s move towards careers in politics and basketball has been impressive. He was elected to the Filippino senate in 2016, inspiring many of his countrymen to step into their own political aspirations. His presence in various charitable initiatives has done wonders for poverty-stricken families in both urban and rural areas.
Following his success in government, Manny’s popularity has led him to try his luck in basketball as a player/coach for the Kia Motors Basketball team. In 2014, he was training with the reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors. It is the Boston Celtics, and not the champion Warriors that are Bodog’s March Madness favourites for the NBA Championship this season, however.
With that said, in honor of this multi-faceted living legend, let’s explore Manny Pacquiao’s incredible boxing career.
Early Victories Against Mexican Stars
Manny Pacquiao’s rise to fame began in 2003 with his victory against Mexico’s Marco Antonio Barrera. Drama would follow, however, as the Pac-Man drew with Juan Manuel Marquez and then lost to Erik Morales. But Pacquiao would come roaring back. The Filippino sensation would knock out Morales twice in 11 months in 2006, proving once and for all that he was the better fighter.
He followed this up with back-to-back victories against Barrera for a second time and Marquez, although the latter of those wasn’t without its controversy. These victories cemented him as one of the biggest stars in boxing and earned him championship titles in four different weight divisions—the first Filipino boxer to do so.
Victories That Secured His Status As Pound-for-Pound Number One
After his initial success against Mexican boxers, Pacquiao continued to build upon his legacy. He would defeat box office sensation defeating Oscar De La Hoya in 2008 before knocking Britain’s Ricky Hatton out cold in 2009. Six months on from the victory over the Hitman, Pacquiao would defeat the dangerous Miguel Cotto, which secured his legacy at the top of the pound-for-pound charts.
Over the next three years, a fight with fellow pound-for-pound contender Floyd Mayweather was mooted, however, neither party could come to terms on a deal. Then, the unthinkable happened.
Back-to-Back Losses Against Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez
In 2012, Manny Pacquiao experienced a rare setback when he lost the WBO welterweight championship in a controversial split decision to Tim Bradley in Las Vegas. Many experts thought that Pac-Man won this fight, so he escaped with his reputation somewhat intact. However, he would be on the receiving end of a hammer blow some six months later.
In December 2012, Pacquiao battled Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time. Their previous three fights had been filled with controversy. The judges awarded the Filippino with two victories and one draw, while many experts feel that the Mexican fighter did enough to secure at least victory in one of the three fights.
However, Marquez laid those ghosts to rest in emphatic fashion on this night in Las Vegas. With mere seconds remaining in the sixth round, Pacquiao walked onto a clean right hand from Marquez. The shot knocked the Pac-Man clean out while was left to Marquez celebrated his success wildly.
He would bounce back with back-to-back wins over Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley. His win against Timothy Bradley was significant because it was enough for him to reclaim his WBO welterweight title—his eighth championship belt in eight different divisions.
Finally fighting Floyd Mayweather
On Saturday, May 2nd, 2015, the long overdue battle between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather finally happened. Many felt that the fight came some seven years too late, and in the end, the world witnessed a one-sided fight in favor of Mayweather. The fight remains the highest-grossing fight in boxing history, and it generated $400m in the US alone.
The Latter Stages of his Career
Manny Pacquiao is truly one of boxing’s all-time greats, having achieved legendary status amongst sports fans worldwide through decades worth of memorable fights that span multiple eras within the sport itself. As recently as 2019, the Pac-Man was still reeling off victories.
In January of that year, he defeated the brash Adrien Broner. Then, in July, he would hand Keith Thurman his first career defeat with a split decision victory at over 40 years of age. The final fight came of his career came in August 2021, where Pacquiao would lose out to Cuban star Yordenis Ugás.
