Manny Pacquiao’s legacy in the Philippines is one of a kind — a tale that will be told and re-told, for years to come.
Other than Pacquiao’s unmatched achievements inside the boxing ring, his rags to riches story has given hope to countless people from all walks of life which includes Filipino featherweight Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro.
From someone who’s also experienced what it’s like to struggle in life, Rosauro certainly draws inspiration from the eight-division boxing world champion.
“He’s such a huge inspiration for Filipinos like me. We’ve seen how he slowly rose from the bottom, up to the top of the food chain,” said Rosauro.
“We know that his achievements will be hard to match. However, what he did can somehow be an inspiration to all of us who wish to make it big one day.”
For Rosauro, other than Pacquiao’s incredible God-given talents in boxing, his traits and discipline have played a major role in the accomplishments that he reached in life both as an athlete and as a person.
It’s something that he hopes to emulate as he looks to make a splash in ONE Championship.
“We’ve seen how determined he is in boxing just to reach his ultimate goal,” shared Rosauro. “Whatever he does, he succeeds cause it’s from the heart.”
Following Pacquiao’s footsteps, Rosauro said that he’s also doing what he can to help out the people around him.
It may not be much compared to what Pacquiao is making, but for Rosauro, what’s important is sharing his blessings to the people closest to him.
“Manny showed us that poverty isn’t a hindrance in achieving your dreams. All you need is direction and dedication to what you do,” Rosauro shared.
“He showed us that he has a beautiful heart. He also inspired me to help out, even though I don’t get much – I try to reach out, particularly to my family, as much as I can.”
Pacquiao is slated to go toe-to-toe against WBA Super Welterweight king Keith “One Time” Thurman in a superfight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA on 20 July.
Rosauro will certainly be one of the millions of Filipinos who will be rooting for Pacquiao on that night.
“I know Thurman is good but I am confident in Pacquiao,” shared Rosauro.
“He’ll have a whole nation behind him. We hope he brings home the victory so he can continue to inspire people.”
