Official Bio: Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao

MANNY “PacMan” PACQUIAO
Age: 32 (12-17-78)
Residence: General Santos City, Philippines
Birthplace: Kibawe, Philippines
Record: 52-3-2, 38 KOs
Height: 5’6.5”
Reach: 67”
Stance: Lefthanded
Trainer: Freddie Roach

MANNY “PacMan” PACQUIAO (52-3-2, 38 KOs)…
• “Fighter of the Decade 2000-2009” – Boxing Writers Association of America…
• “2009 Fighter of the Year” – Boxing Writers Association of America…
• “2009 Fighter of the Year” – The Ring…
• “2008 Fighter of the Year” – Boxing Writers Association of America…
• “2008 Fighter of the Year” – The Ring…
• “2006 Fighter of the Year” – Boxing Writers Association of America…
• “2006 Fighter of the Year” – The Ring…
• World championship fights: 11-1-2, 8 KOs…
• WBC super welterweight world champion…
• Former WBO welterweight world champion, one succesful defense…
• Former WBC lightweight world champion…
• Former WBC super featherweight world champion…
• Former IBF jr. featherweight world champion, four successful defenses…
• Former WBC flyweight world champion, one successful defense…
• Former WBC International super featherweight champion, three successful defenses…
• Former WBC International super bantamweight champion, five successful defenses…
• Former OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) flyweight champion, one successful defense…

At the age of 32, Manny is a 16-year pro – he made his debut at 16. Boxing’s biggest and brightest star, he has been fighting at the top levels of competition and given the most sensational performances seen in the ring in recent years.

He is not only recognized by most observers as the best fighter at any weight in the ring today – the best “Pound for Pound” – but is also considered one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Manny is the national hero of his native Philippines – the entire country of over 96 million people comes to a virtual standstill to watch whenever he fights.

He was also elected this year as a Congressman in the Sarangani province in the Philippines.

Manny’s spectacular career has made him a certain future Hall of Famer. But while still in his prime, he has already transcended the sport and reached a level that can be claimed by very few – he has become a legend in his own time.

He is coming off a dominant 12-round unanimous decision win against former WBA, IBF, and WBO welterweight world champion Antonio Margarito in his last fight on November 13.

HBO analyst Max Kellerman said during the telecast, “He’s one of the greatest fighters who ever lived. Manny loves to fight.”

After the fight, Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported [excerpts]: There are contenders and champions, stars and superstars, but every once in a while in boxing there comes a phenomenon, and this description applies to Manny Pacquiao after his one-sided win over Antonio Margarito….

The crowd at Cowboys Stadium and a worldwide TV viewing audience saw Pacquiao give a performance that cements his status as the world’s best fighter at any weight.

Margarito towered over the fabulous Filipino and on the night of the fight he had a 17-pound weight advantage, but it was never going to be enough. Pacquiao outclassed, outfought and outpunched the bigger man. I think Pacquiao could have stopped him, too, had he really wanted to do so, in either the 11th or 12th round. Margarito was busted up and broken down, but Pacquiao showed compassion for the brave Mexican warrior and coasted home.

The win made Pacquiao the WBC’s 154-pound champion (although the match weight was 150 pounds) but clearly he could still make 140 pounds. He is a marvel to be compared with old-time great Henry Armstrong, who simultaneously held titles at three weights – 126, 135 and 147 pounds – in the 1930s.

Pacquiao’s achievement is remarkable – and so what if the fight was made at 150 pounds? It could have been made at 180 pounds and the result likely would have been similar. [End Houston item]

Associated Press boxing writer Tim Dahlberg reported from ringside [excerpts]: In a spectacular performance before a delighted crowd of 41,734 at Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao cemented his claim to being the best fighter in the world by dominating the bigger but slower Margarito almost from the opening bell. Pacquiao won round after round, opening a cut on Margarito’s cheek, closing his right eye, and turning his face into a bloody mess.

The punches came quickly, and they came often. Margarito was plenty game as he tried to stalk Pacquiao around the ring, but every time he got close Pacquiao would land a four- or five-punch combination that snapped his head back and stopped him in his tracks.

The beating was so thorough that the congressman from the Philippines turned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11th round, imploring him to stop the fight. It went on, though, even though Margarito had no chance to win.

“I told the referee, ‘Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,’” Pacquiao said. “I did not want to damage him permanently. That’s not what boxing is about.”

Pacquiao won every round on one scorecard, 120-108, and was ahead 119-109 and 118-110 on the other two. The Associated Press had it a 120-108 shutout.

“I can’t believe that I beat someone this big and this strong,” Pacquiao said. “It’s hard. I really do my best to win the fight.”

It wasn’t entirely easy, though. Pacquiao said Margarito hurt him in the middle rounds with shots to the head and the body, though he was unable to land more than one of two punches at a time. When he did manage to land, more often than not Pacquiao was there to fire right back with volleys of his own that found their mark almost every time.

The fight was for the WBC 154-pound title even though the contract weight was 150 pounds. Margarito weighed 150 at Friday’s weigh-in, but was 165 on the unofficial HBO scale before the fight while Pacquiao, who had been 144.6, was 148 pounds.

Pacquiao also gave away 4 ½ inches in height and was at a six-inch reach disadvantage, but that didn’t matter either.

Pacquiao…planned to give a concert at Lake Tahoe on Tuesday and then return to his political duties in the Philippines.

“I have another job after this,” Pacquiao said. “I’m going back to the Philippines to do my other job and be a public servant.” [End Dahlberg item]

Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: The inventory of superlatives is beginning to run low when it comes to Pacquiao, the greatest fighter on the planet. We are in the midst of seeing one of the most impressive runs in boxing history as Pacquiao just keeps racking up big wins against bigger men and making it look easy. Since his tough split-decision win against Juan Manuel Marquez in their rematch for the junior lightweight title, Pacquiao has taken on six consecutive men who were all bigger than him in four heavier weight divisions and mopped the floor with all of them – David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and now Margarito. It is truly impressive and has to make you start to talk about Pacquiao in historical terms on par with any of the greats.

On fight night at Cowboys Stadium…Pacquiao was outweighed by 17 pounds. He had weighed in at 144.6 and gone up to 148, while Margarito weighed 150 officially and rehydrated to a whopping 165. In essence, you had a welterweight against a super middleweight. Margarito also had significant advantages in height and reach. Pacquiao…just crushed Margarito with flush shot after flush shot. He fractured Margarito’s orbital bone in the fourth round and mashed up his face over the course of the fight. [The] referee should have stopped the fight at just about any point after the ninth round…. [End Rafael item]

Manny was voted “2009 Fighter of the Year” and “Fighter of the Decade 2000-2009” by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

BWAA president Jack Hirsch wrote on their webpage [excerpts]: If there were any doubt that Manny Pacquiao is the biggest star of his sport, it was put to rest by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. By an overwhelming margin, Pacquiao took home not only the BWAA’s newly named “Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year” award, but went one better by also winning “Fighter of the Decade” honors. For Pacquiao, it was his third BWAA “Fighter of the Year” award, tying him with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield for the most in the history of the organization. [End BWAA item]

The Associated Press reported on February 1 [excerpts]: Manny Pacquiao was honored as the fighter of the decade by the Boxing Writer’s Association of America on Monday….

The reigning pound-for-pound king was chosen fighter of the decade over Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera.

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, was honored with a record-setting fourth Eddie Futch Award for trainer of the year. Futch once trained Roach, who eventually became his assistant…. [End AP item]

Manny’s webpage address is mannypacquiao.ph.

Key Fights – 2010 – WON VACANT WBC SW WORLD TITLE – in his last fight on 11-13-10 in Arlington, TX, he won a 12 round unanimous decision against former WBA, IBF, and WBO welterweight world champion Antonio Margarito (38-6): the fight headlined at Cowboys Stadium, and Manny dominated; Margarito had a huge size advantage, but Manny kept him off balance with movement, consistently outworked him, and landed the harder punches; Margarito was swollen under his right eye in the 5th round, and later cut and bruised in the same area (it was discovered after the fight that his orbital bone was broken); Margarito rocked Manny in the 6th, but it was one of the few rallies that he had; Manny steadily wore him down and staggered him with a series of punches in the 10th round; Manny looked to the referee to stop the fight in the 11th round, but the fight continued; Manny dominated the 11th and 12th, but with less ferocity, and Margarito’s right eye was swollen shut at the final bell; scored 120-108, 119-109, 118-110; after the fight, Manny said, “I did my best. He’s strong. He’s a very tough fighter. I can’t believe he took those punches.”…

1ST WBO W WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 3-13-10 in Arlington he won a 12 round unanimous decision against former IBF welterweight world champion Joshua Clottey (35-3): the fight headlined at Cowboys Stadium, drew a crowd of 50,994, and Manny dominated; he consistently outworked Clottey and landed the harder punches, and Clottey fought very defensively for the entire fight; scored 119-109, 119-109, 120-108; after the fight, Manny said, “It was not an easy fight. He’s a good fighter. I threw a lot of jabs in the beginning to counter his hook and uppercut. I felt his power. He’s so strong. I could tell he was looking to land the big shot throughout the fight.”…

2009 – WON WBO W WORLD TITLE – on 11-14-09 in Las Vegas, NV, he TKO’d defending champion Miguel Cotto (34-1): the fight headlined at the MGM Grand – it was the most highly-anticipated boxing event of the year, and drew a capacity crowd of 16,200; the early rounds were close and exciting – Cotto was disciplined and sharp and scored with solid combinations, but Manny scored a knockdown with a right hook in the 3rd round; Manny scored another knockdown with a left hand that left Cotto dazed in the 4th – Cotto courageously fought on and rallied in the 5th round, but Manny staggered him with a left hand in the 6th, steadily wore him down, and dominated most of the rest of the fight; Cotto boxed and moved in the late rounds, but Manny landed the harder punches, rocked him repeatedly in the 9th round, and Cotto’s mouth and nose were bloodied, his face battered and swollen; Cotto won the 10th on two scorecards, but Manny swept the 11th round, then rocked Cotto again early in the 12th and the referee stopped the fight at 0:55; after 11 rounds, Manny led by scores of 109-99, 108-99, 108-100; after the fight, Manny said, “In the first three rounds I tried to measure his power. I’m talking to him during the fight because I’m trying to fight toe-to-toe with him. Before the fight his camp was saying he’s bigger and stronger. I just wanted to let them know that in the fight we were going to see who’s stronger and tougher. I don’t want to compare my achievements to any fighter in boxing. I’m just doing my job to give a good fight. My goal is to give happiness to all those who watch us. I always think to myself that I’m an ordinary fighter. I think this was one of the toughest fights in my boxing career. I took a lot of boxing from Cotto. But after this I have a concert at Mandalay Bay – eight songs with my band from the Philippines.”…
On 5-2-09 in Las Vegas he knocked out former IBF jr. welterweight and WBA welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton (45-1): the fight headlined at the MGM Grand and drew a capacity crowd of 16,262, and Manny quickly overwhelmed Hatton; he scored two knockdowns in the 1st round – the first with a right hook, the second with a left hand; he scored another knockdown with a left hand that dropped Hatton flat on his back, out cold, late in the 2nd round and the referee stopped the fight at 2:59; after the fight, Manny said, “I’m surprised this fight was so easy, but I did work hard since the beginning of March in training camp. Nothing personal. I am just doing my job, but this is as big a victory for me as when I beat Oscar De La Hoya. He was wide open for the right hook. I knew he would be looking for my left. That’s why we worked on the right.”…

2008 –on 12-6-08 in Las Vegas he TKO’d former WBO jr. lightweight, WBO and IBF lightweight, WBC super lightweight, welterweight, and two-time super welterweight, and WBO middleweight world champion Oscar De La Hoya (39-5): the fight headlined at the MGM Grand; De La Hoya was a 2-1 favorite to win, but Manny dominated the fight; De La Hoya won the 1st round on one judge’s scorecard, but none after that; Manny kept him off-balance with movement, consistently outworked him, and rocked him with hard left hands in every round; Manny rocked De La Hoya repeatedly in the 7th round – which two judges scored 10-8 for him – and De La Hoya’s left eye was swollen shut; De La Hoya did not continue after the 8th round; after eight rounds, Manny led by near-shutout scores of 80-71, 80-71, 79-72; after the fight, Manny said, “I was able to defend against his jab and he wasn’t able to connect, and I was able to connect with everything. Speed was the answer to this fight. The only thing I was surprised by was that my trainer picked the round we would win in.”…

WON WBC L WORLD TITLE – on 6-28-08 in Las Vegas he TKO’d lefthanded defending champion David Diaz (34-1-1): the fight headlined at Mandalay Bay; Diaz, a 1996 U.S. Olympian, gave a tremendous effort, but Manny dominated the entire fight and gave him a severe beating; he rocked Diaz repeatedly and cut him badly over his right eye in the 4th round; Manny scored a knockdown with a left hand that dropped Diaz face-first to the canvas, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 2:24; after eight rounds, Manny led by scores of 80-71, 80-71, 80-72; after the fight, Manny said, “I feel much stronger and more powerful at 135. This is where I plan to stay. Diaz caught a lot of punches. I’m surprised he didn’t go down earlier. It’s hard to fight a southpaw, but I jabbed, jabbed to set him up for the knockout.”…

WON WBC SF WORLD TITLE – on 3-15-08 in Las Vegas, NV, he won a 12 round split decision in the rematch against defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez (48-3-1): it was a fast-paced, exciting fight and the momentum shifted back and forth; Manny swept the 1st round on all three scorecards, but Marquez came back, staggered him with a right hand-left hook combination in the 2nd, and swept the round; Manny scored a knockdown with left hand that dropped Marquez flat on his back late in the 3rd round, rocked Marquez again later in the round and won the round 10-8 on all three scorecards, then swept the 4th round on all three scorecards, as well; Marquez rallied and swept the 5th, 7th, and 8th rounds, but was nicked over his right eye in the 5th, and cut badly over the same eye by a clash of heads in the 7th; Manny was also cut badly over his right eye; Manny staggered Marquez with a left hand early in the 10th round, then rocked him against with series of punches moments later and swept the round, but Marquez finished the fight very strongly – he swept the 11th round and won the 12th on two scorecards; scored 115-112, 114-113 Pacquiao, 115-112 Marquez…

2007 – 5TH WBC INTERNATIONAL SF TITLE DEFENSE – on 10-6-07 in Las Vegas, NV, he won a 12 round unanimous decision in the rematch against 33 year-old former three-time WBO jr. featherweight, IBF jr. lightweight and WBC super featherweight world champion Marco Antonio Barrera (63-5): the bout headlined at Mandalay Bay and drew a crowd of 10,112, and Manny dominated the fight; Barrera had his moments – he rocked Manny with a right hand in the 3rd round and scored with a hard left hook and left uupercut in the 5th, but Manny pressed forward and consistently outworked him; Manny staggered Barrera and cut him under his right eye in the 11th round, and Barrera was penalized one point for punching on a break later in the round after he staggered Manny with a right hand; scored 118-109, 118-109, 115-112; after the fight, Manny said, ““It was a good fight, and it was different from the first fight. He’s a good, smart boxer. I’m satisfied with the result. I knew he would have to box me this time around. I thought the people were happy with that fight. I’m trying to make people happy, to give a good fight. I hope that people liked this fight tonight. We did our best. I was careful in this fight. He’s still a good fighter. I was just lucky in the first fight that it happened like that.”…

4TH WBC INTERNATIONAL SF TITLE DEFENSE – on 4-14-07 in San Antonio, TX, he knocked out Jorge Solis (32-0-2): the fight headlined at the Alamodome and drew a crowd of 14,793; the early rounds were tactical and close, and both were effective at times; Manny was cut over his left eye by a clash of heads in the 6th round, but rocked Solis later in the round; Manny stepped up his pace in the 7th round, then scored two knockdowns in the 8th – both with left hands – and he was counted out at 1:16; after the fight, Manny said, “In the early rounds I took it easy, but when I got a cut I was throwing more combinations and pretty soon I knocked him out.”…

2006 – 3RD WBC INTERNATIONAL SF TITLE DEFENSE – on 11-18-06 in Las Vegas, NV, he knocked out former WBC super bantamweight, two-time featherweight, and super featherweight world champion Erik Morales (48-4): the fight headlined at the Thomas & Mack Center and drew an announced crowd of 18,276; Morales gave a tremendous effort, but Manny gave a sensational performance, dominated the fight, and quickly overpowered him; Manny rocked Morales with a right hook in the 1st round and scored a knockdown with a straight left hand in the 2nd; Manny staggered Morales, then scored a knockdown with a series of punches in the 3rd round – Morales came back with a furious attack and rocked Manny, but Manny scored another knockdown and Morales was counted out at 2:57;

2ND WBC INTERNATIONAL SF TITLE DEFENSE – on 7-2-06 in Manila, PHIL, he won a 12 round unanimous decision against former WBC super bantamweight world champion Oscar Larios (56-4-1): the fight headlined at the historic Araneta Coliseum, the site of the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975; Larios had some early success and staggered Manny in the 3rd round, but Manny came back and cut Larios over the left eye later in the round; several rounds were close, but Manny had the edge in most and and gave Larios a severe beating; Manny scored one knockdown in the 7th round and another in the 12th, and won by scores of 120-106, 118-108, 117-111; after the fight, Manny said, “Their plan was for me to finish the match early, but my plan was that I would not rush, as long as I’m ahead on points. Sometimes if you rush, you may have a problem, because he can squeeze in a punch.”…

1ST WBC INTERNATIONAL SF TITLE DEFENSE – on 1-21-06 in Las Vegas he TKO’d defending champion Erik Morales (48-3): the rematch headlined at the Thomas & Mack Center, and drew announced crowd of 14,618; it was an exciting fight, and both gave tremendous efforts; the early rounds were close, but Morales rallied and swept rounds three through five on all three scorecards and after five rounds, led by scores of 49-46, 48-47, 48-47; but Manny came on strongly in the 6th – he consistently landed the harder punches and swept rounds six through nine on all three scorecards; Manny scored two knockdowns in the 10th – the first with a straight left hand, the second after a series of punches – and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 2:33; after nine rounds, Manny led by scores of 86-85, 87-84, 87-84; after the fight, Manny said, “The first fight was tough for me to go to the body because I had the bloody eye. The big difference is that I could see, I could see his punches coming. I saw I hurt him every time I hit him in the body. I wasn’t expecting to knock him out. I was lucky that I was to get to his body and his head.”..; Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reported, “Pacquiao…put on a spectacular performance in a sensational action fight.”…

2005 – WON VACANT WBC INTERNATIONAL SF TITLE – on 9-10-05 in Los Angeles, CA, he TKO’d Hector Velazquez (42-10-2): Velazquez started fast and gave a good effort, but Manny outworked Velazquez, landed the harder punches, and dominated most of the fight; Manny staggered Velazquez with a right hook in the 6th round, then scored a knockdown moments later; Velazquez got up at the count of eight, but the referee stopped the fight at 2:59; after five rounds, Manny led by scores of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47; after the fight, Manny said, “This is exactly what we trained for. It was the body shots that set him up for the K.O.”…

On 3-19-05 in Las Vegas, NV, lost a 12 round unanimous decision against former WBC super bantamweight, featherweight, and super featherweight world champion Erik Morales (47-2): it was one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the year, and it was boxing at its best; the event drew a capacity crowd of 14,623 to the MGM Grand, and it was a ferocious battle that repeatedly brought the fans to their feet; it was a very close fight, and the momentum shifted back and forth – Manny started fast and won the first and third rounds on all three scorecards, but Morales weathered the early storm and rallied in the middle and late rounds; Morales won the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds on two scorecards, then the eighth, tenth, and eleventh on all three; Manny was cut over the right eye in the 5th round – ruled by a punch – but he won the seventh round on two scorecards, and swept the ninth and twelfth; both stood toe-to-toe in the final round and punched nonstop until the bell; all three judges scored the fight 115-113; after the fight, Manny said, “I couldn’t see out of one eye, and it was very hard. If I am not cut on one eye, I think I can knock him out. But I did my best and gave everyone a good fight.”…

2004 – on 12-11-04 in Taguig City, PHIL, he TKO’d Fahsan Thawatchai (44-7-1): the event drew an estimated crowd of 25,000 at The Fort, and Manny gave a devastating performance; he scored one knockdown in the 2nd round, another in the 3rd, and two more in the 4th – Fahsan was out cold, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 1:26…

IBF, WBA F WORLD TITLE CHALLENGE – on 5-8-04 in Las Vegas, NV, he fought to a 12 round draw against defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez (42-2): Manny scored three knockdowns in the 1st round, and Marquez’ nose was injured badly and bled throughout the fight; but Marquez showed tremendous heart and determination, gradually recovered, and boxed effectively for much of the fight; Marquez swept rounds three through six on two judges’ scorecards – he rocked Manny and cut him over the right eye in the 5th, and staggered him in the 6th; the second half of the fight was exciting, and the momentum went back and forth – Manny landed the harder punches, but Marquez kept a busier pace and won four of the last six rounds on one scorecard, and five on another; the final scores were 115-110 Marquez, 115-110 Pacquiao, 113-113; after the fight, Manny said, “I’m disappointed. I thought I won, I didn’t think it was close. I thought I took his fight away from him.”…

2003 – in his last fight on 11-15-03 in San Antonio, TX, he TKO’d former three-time WBO jr. featherweight world champion Marco Antonio Barrera (57-3): the fight was at 126 pounds, and Barrera, considered by many observers to be the world’s best featherweight, was a 4-1 favorite to win; but Manny gave a sensational performance; he was knocked down in the 1st round – replays showed that he was tripped when the punch was thrown – but dominated the rest of the fight; Manny scored a knockdown in the 3rd round, then rocked Barrera with several punches later in the round; he relentlessly pressured Barrera, landed the harder punches and wore him down; Barrera’s left eye was swollen in the 4th round, and he was cut over the same eye by a clash of heads in the 7th; Barrera was also penalized one point for punching on the break in the 9th round; Manny scored another knockdown in the 11th round – Barrera got up, but Manny rocked him with a series of punches and Barrera’s corner stopped the fight at 2:56; after 10 rounds, Manny led by scores of 97-88, 97-90, 97-90; after the fight, Manny said, “I really focused through this fight. “Very early, I knew I was going to knock him out. When I knocked him down in the third, I thought it was over. But he came back. I’m surprised he lasted that long.”…

4TH IBF JF WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 7-26-03 in Los Angeles, CA, he knocked out previously undefeated Emmanuel Lucero (21-0-1): it was a spectacular one-punch knockout; Lucero was an awkward opponent – he pressed forward, dipped almost to the canvas at times and lunged at Manny with wide punches; Manny landed a single left hand in the 3rd round that sent Lucero staggering across the ring, out on his feet, and the referee stopped the fight at 0:48 as Lucero slumped to the canvas; after the fight, Manny said, “He was way too low. He looked like an amateur fighter.”…

On 3-15-03 in Manila, PH, he TKO’d Serik Eshmagametov (13-18-1): the fight drew an announced attendance of 50,000 to Manila’s historic Luneta Park; Manny scored a knockdown in the 1st round, but Eshmagametov rallied and scored a knockdown in the 4th; Manny came back strongly, scored two knockdowns in the 5th round, and the referee stopped the fight at 1:52…

2002 – 3RD IBF JF WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 10-26-02 in Davao, PH, he TKO’d Fahproakob Sithkwenim (36-2): the fight was held at Rizal Memorial College gymnasium; Manny scored four knockdowns in the 1st round, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:36; after the fight, Manny said, “I really prepared for the fight. I was really surprised why he got down when I hit him with a right cross. I studied his punch and he always brought down his left hand.”…

2ND IBF JF WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 6-8-02 in Memphis, TN, he knocked out Jorge Julio (44-3): the fight was the co-featured bout with the Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson main event; Manny scored two knockdowns early in the 2nd round and bloodied Julio’s nose; Julio got up both times, but Manny rocked him again and the referee stopped the fight at 1:09; after the fight, Manny said, “I hope that now people will start to respect me a little more. The plan was to come out and let him feel my power early. I knew after the first knockdown that it was a matter of time.I didn’t think it would be that easy.”…

2001 – 1ST IBF JF WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 10-11-01 in San Francisco, CA, he had a technical draw against WBO world champion Agapito Sanchez (33-7-1): it was a very dirty fight with continuous mauling and repeated fouls; Manny was cut badly over the right eye in the 2nd round by a clash of heads, and later on his left ear; Sanchez was penalized one point in the 3rd round for pushing the laces of his gloves against Manny’s cut, and another point in the 4th for low blows; Sanchez was also cut over his left eye in the 5th; the referee stopped the fight on Manny’s cut at 1:20 of the 6th round and went to the scorecards – 58-54 Pacquiao, 57-55 Sanchez, 56-56; after the fight, trainer Freddie Roach said, “Tremendous miscarriage of boxing justice. Sanchez repeatedly made intentional fouls.”…

WON IBF JF WORLD TITLE – on 6-23-01 in Las Vegas, NV, he TKO’d defending champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba (33-1-1): Manny took the fight on two weeks’ notice and gave a sensational performance – he bloodied Ledwaba’s nose in the 1st round, knocked him down in the 2nd, then rocked him several times in the 3rd and 4th; Manny scored two more knockdowns in the 6th, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 0:59; after the fight, Manny said, “This is a dream come true. My dream was to be champion again. He did not hurt me at all. He did not even hit me hard. I was in control the entire fight.”…

4TH WBC INTERNATIONAL JF DEFENSE – on 4-28-01 in Kidapawan City, PH, he TKO’d Kumanpetch Kiatvoraphong (38-2): it was a wild fight in front of nearly 20,000 fans; Manny was floored by low blows two times in the 4th round, and one time in the 5th, and Kumanpetch was penalized one point; but Manny came back strong in the 6th – he staggered Kumanpetch with a right hand, then rocked him with a series of punches, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:46…

3RD WBC INTERNATIONAL JF DEFENSE –on 2-24-01 in Antipolo, PH, he TKO’d Cholho Kang (19-4-3): Kang, a North Korean based in Japan, is also known as Tetsutora Senrima; Manny stopped him at 1:06 of the 5th round…

2000 – 2ND WBC INTERNATIONAL JF DEFENSE –on 10-14-00 in Manila, PH, he TKO’d previously undefeated British Commonwealth champion Nadel Hussein (19-0): Hussein, born in Lebanon and based in Australia, fought very aggressively; Hussein scored a knockdown in the 4th round, but was also penalized one point; Manny came back in the 5th round and cut Hussein over and under the left eye, and the fight was eventually stopped on the cuts at 1:48 of the 10th; after nine rounds, Manny led by scores of 87-80, 87-83, 87-85; Hussein and his trainer, former three-time world champion Jeff Fenech, protested bitterly that Manny received a long count after his knockdown and that Hussein’s cuts had been ruled from a clash of heads; the crowd threw bottles and coins into the ring and Fenech challenged a heckler to a fight;; after the fight, Manny said, “His punches are really strong. This is my toughest fight so far.”…

1ST WBC INTERNATIONAL JF DEFENSE – on 6-28-00 in Quezon City, PH, he TKO’d previously undefeated Sungkwon Chae (23-0): at 1:42 of the 1st round…

1999 – WON WBC INTERNATIONAL JF TITLE – on 12-18-99 in Manila he TKO’d former Philippines champion and world title challenger Reynante Jamili (41-5): the fight was the main event at the Fiesta Fistiana, the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s annual fund-raiser for retired and disabled boxers; Manny scored three knockdowns, and stopped Jamili in the 2nd round; after the fight, Manny said, “I feel great. I have great trainers who told me to relax and take it slow.”…

LOST WBC FL WORLD TITLE – on 9-17-99 in Thammarat, TH, he was knocked out against Medgoen Lukchaopormasak (19-0): Manny lost the title at the weigh-in when he did not make weight, and Medgoen won the vacant title; Medgoen knocked down Manny with a body punch in the 3rd round, and he was counted out at 1:32…

1ST WBC FL WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 4-23-99 in Manila he knocked out Gabriel Mira (19-7-1): 15,000 fans were in attendance at the historic Araneta Coliseum, the site of the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975; Mira started fast and rocked Manny two times in the 2nd round, but Manny rallied to knock down Mira later in the round; Manny scored another knockdown in the 3rd, and three more in the 4th, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:45…

1998 – WON WBC FL WORLD TITLE – on 12-4-98 in Phuttamonthon, TH, he knocked out defending champion Chatchai Sasakul (33-1): it was a spectacular one-punch knockout; Sasakul dominated the early rounds with his speed, skill, and sharp combination punching, but Manny rocked him in the 4th round; Sasakul recovered quickly and continued to box effectively, but Manny knocked down Sasakul with a single left hand in the 8th round, and he was counted out at 2:54; after seven rounds, Sasakul led by scores of 70-64, 69-64, 68-65…

WON OPBF FL TITLE – on 6-27-97 in Manila he knocked out Chokchai Chokwiwat: in the 5th round…
He debuted at the age of 16 on 1-22-95…

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Manny was born in General Santos City, Philippines, and grew up in a family with six children…his parents were vegetable farmers, and are now estranged…Manny built a house for his mother close to his own…

When Manny was 14, he moved to Manila and lived, for a time, on the streets…he started boxing and made the Philippines’ national amateur team – his room and board were paid for by the federal government, and he reportedly had 64 amateur fights (60-4)…he said, “When I was younger, I watched so many videos of Larry Holmes, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and others. I used to rent the videos.”…

He turned pro at 16 and won the Oriental-Pacific flyweight title when he was 18; he invited his brother Bobby to come to Manila and took him to the boxing gym…brother Rogel was also a talented boxer, but suffered a head injury in a motorcycle accident and no longer boxes…

Manny has become a movie star in the Philippines, as well – he has starred in several popular Filipino action movies, some with his friend, Mikey Arroyo, the son of the Philippines President…Manny is also a successful recording artist…

His official biography was published recently: “Pacman – Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao, The Greatest Pound for Pound Fighter in the World,” by Gary Andrew Poole…

From Time Magazine, Asia edition, Nov. 16, 2009, by Howard Chua-Eoan and Ishaan Tharoor [excerpts]: Pacquiao has a myth of origin equal to that of any Greek or Roman hero. Aban-doned by his father and brought up by a tough-as-nails mother, the poor boy who loves to box is rejected by a local squad but then journeys many islands away, to the country’s metropolis, Manila, to make it big. Then he leaves the Philippines to make it even bigger, conquering the world again and again to bring back riches to share with his family and friends. Now, in his hometown of General Santos City on the island of Mindanao, he and his family own commercial buildings, a convenience store, cafés and a souvenir shop that sells everything from DVDs of his fights to T-shirts to bobblehead dolls. In Manila, his children attend one of the most exclusive and expensive private schools. He is generous to a fault, spending thousands of dollars a day feeding and entertaining guests. For his last fight, he distributed $800,000 in tickets to friends.

A movie has been made of his life. But Pacquiao says the full details of that life couldn’t possibly fit into just one film. There are things to clear up. For one, he did not leave ramshackle General Santos City, a camp of tin and thatch, to pursue boxing, even though he did love the sport. He left home at 14 because his mother Dionisia, who did odd jobs and factory work and hawked vegetables by roadsides, wasn’t really making enough to feed her six children. He had to go off and earn money elsewhere, doing anything to relieve the burden on his mother – even if she wanted him by her side. As it was, he was often absent from school because the family needed him to help sell snacks and trinkets on the potholed lanes where nearly naked children with matted hair still chase rusting bicycle wheels for fun. Pacquiao liked school, correcting and grading his classmates’ homework. He “never cheated during a quiz – he wouldn’t try to look sideways, this way or that,” says one of his schoolteachers from the Saavedra Saway Elementary School. A decent education, however, requires several years and a lot of money. The Pacquiaos had trouble accumulating even a little.

And so young Manny plotted his trip in secret. Dionisia Pacquiao is slender and slight, like her son, and has his easy smile. “Manny has a strong mind and a strong body,” she says. “Just like his mother. Except I am stronger.” But she was heartbroken when he left for Manila. Dionisia recalls receiving a letter from him “saying how sorry he was [for leaving home] … I was very, very sad. But after a while, I accepted his destiny.”

Pacquiao was not one to pick quarrels. But he did not shy away when friends got into free-for-alls: what he calls, with an almost pop-eyed relish, bukbukan – unrestrained fistfighting. He loved boxing. Dionisia recalls an 8-year-old Manny wrapping towels around his hands to mimic gloves. Rey Golingan, a General Santos City businessman, remembers the young Pacquiao attending the weekly bouts in the main plaza. “Manny was always there at the fights, waiting to be paired with someone,” says Golingan. But his consistency wasn’t matched by any obvious talent. “Honestly, I didn’t see any potential in Manny. He was just another kid who knew if he won a few fights he might get 100 pesos [less than $3],” says Golingan. “He was always very courageous and had natural speed and power. But he wasn’t a clever boxer … He was [always] flailing around.”

When he got to Manila, Pacquiao first worked as a laborer. His enthusiasm for boxing, however, had him returning to the ring, fighting in run-for-cover, barely legal matches pulled together in one of Manila’s cramped suburbs. He lingers over the names of boxers he knew who died after such fights, then moves on. The death of a friend reportedly spurred Pacquiao to turn professional. [End Time Magazine item]

Manny and his wife Jinky have four children, two boys and two girls…

STRENGTHS: A natural lefthander with exceptional speed and punching power in both hands…has good skills and movement…has shown great overall improvement in recent years…physically strong, tough and determined…is always in top condition…is experienced against top opposition…

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 57 fights…326 total rounds…102 world championship rounds…

AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 5.7 rounds…

KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: 73 %…

DISTANCE FIGHTS: 12 rounds – 8 (6-1-1)…11 rounds – 1 (1-0)…10 rounds – 5 (5-0)…