Manny Pacquiao

Also known as PacMan, Manny Pacquiao holds many titles not just in the boxing ring but also the world of sports. He is a G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) on the most informal lists, a spot currently held by Muhammad Ali, and talks about his Hall of Fame status is certain. In the history of boxing, he is the only eight-division world champion, with 12 major world titles, and the first Asian four-time welterweight champion. Over his 24 PPV bouts and 26-year-long career, he is reported to have earned US$1billion in revenue.

PacMan has come a long way from 1995, when he first entered professional boxing at 16, a poor boy with a dream. In 2021, he finally, though reluctantly, retired at the age of 42. Now, he is among the Philippines’ richest and most influential men. He has built up and nurtured a political career since 2007, winning one re-election after another as a member of the House of Representatives as well as a member of the Senate of the Philippines. He has filed to run for the highest position in the country in the 2022 national elections.

The boxing champion and cultural icon has never backed out of a fight. PacMan’s discipline and focus in his sport are just as much a part of the awe and entertainment of watching him succeed. Even in failure, PacMan’s good-natured Filipino values and Christian faith have drawn respect and friendship from fellow star athletes, celebrities and public personalities.