Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel Dapigran Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978 in Kibawe, Bukidnon. He is a Filipino professional boxer and currently holds the WBC International Super Featherweight title. Pacquiao is a former world champion at the IBF Super Bantamweight, as well as WBC Flyweight divisions.

Pacquiao has marked his place in professional boxing with 44 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. 35 of these wins have come from knockouts.

Pacquiao was in the race for a congressional seat for the 1st district of South Cotabato. Darlene Antonino-Custodio defeated him.

Early career:
Pacquiao began his professional boxing career in 1995. At this time, he was 106 pounds and was 16 years old. His first few fights were held at small venues. They were aired on Vintage Sports' Blow. His very first professional match consisted of 4 rounds versus Edmund Ignacio [January 22, 1995]. Pacquiao beat him and was recognized a star immediately. From 106 pounds, Pacquiao increased his weight to 113 pounds. He was defeated in his 12 match, which was versus Rustico Torrecampo. He was knocked out in the 3rd round. A well regarded sportscaster Joaquin "Quinito" Henson at that time said that Pacquiao did not have enough weight to take on his opponent. In order to compensate for this, he wore heavier gloves than Torrecampo, which disadvantaged him.

Pacquiao's rise:
Pacquiao then defended his title 4 times. This was just before a match that many say defined his career. This was versus the Mexican boxing idol, Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao gained more weight and fought in his first featherweight division match. He beat Barrera through an 11th round technical knockout.

Newfound fame:
Pacquiao stood in the limelight again in the first week of February 2006. However, this was for reasons otherthan boxing. A waitress in Manila said that Pacquiao was the father of her child. Pacquiao did not pay any child support, which led her to sue Pacquiao for $250,000.00 in child support.In March the same year, Pacquiao was rushed to hospital for liver problems that was caused by womanizing, bar-hopping, etc. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach had raised his concerns earlier about the boxer. It is often thought that boxers are in danger of losing their focus when they lead a loose lifestyle. Notable distractions to the boxer in the Philippines included personal appearances, nocturnal activities, sponsorship deals, and even his circle of friends.

Pacquiao in popular culture:
There is a movie [Pacquiao: The Movie] based on Pacquiao's life, which was launched on June 21, 2006. Actor Jericho Rosales plays the role of Manny Pacquiao. The movie was a flop even though it has a massive $1,031,991 budget, and wide distribution in 80 cinemas. It only brought in $99,322. After Pacquiao beat Erik Morales, in a re-match, Pacquiao produced the song "Para Sa 'Yo Ang Laban Na 'To", which means "This Fight is for You". It was a major success everywhere in the Philippines. It demonstrated a patriotic and nationalistic theme, and also reflected Pacquiao's battles in the boxing ring.

Pacquiao's song was launched just weeks prior to his second match with Morales. It is said that Pacquiao's victory against Morales densely influenced his song's popularity.

Other media:
Manny Pacquiao has been sought after for endorsing different company products. Some of these included foods, garments, telecommunications, detergents, medicines, as well as a political ad for Chavit Singson at the elections [May 14, 2007].

Manny Pacquiao, full name Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, is a legendary pro boxer who is considered as one of the greatest boxers today. He has broken records and made records and been named Fighter of the Year not once but many different times. Born back in 1978, this incredible boxer soon developed an enthusiasm in boxing that led to amateur boxing career and was soon followed by a mind blowing professional career. Over the course of his boxing career, Manny Pacquiao has won numerous titles and made many a record. He became the first boxer to become an Eight Division World Champion, having won a whooping six different world titles. He is also the first to have ever won the fantabulous Lineal Championship in not one but four weight classes, a feat that added to his six world titles makes him unmatchable in the world of boxing.

Manny Pacquiao has been continuously ranked as the best boxer by numerous bodies. He is the Fighter of the Decade according to the Boxing Writers Association of America, BWAA. Aside from that, he was named Fighter of the Year three times by both the BWAA and The Ring magazine in 2006, in 2008 and again in 2009. presently, Manny Pacquiao holds the World Boxing Organisation, WBO, Welterweight World Champion as a Super Champion titled. He is also ranked first, number one, as the Best Pound for Pound Boxer in the whole world by not one but numerous sports media; The Ring, Sports Illustrated, BoxRec.com, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, Sporting Life and even About.com. Thus, for some of the most breathtaking boxing and ring fights, all you need are Manny Pacquiao Tickets in your hand and you are set for the night of your life.