Seeing famous people enter politics is not uncommon, in fact, it happens all the time. In the US, for example, we already had actors being State Governors. However, in the Philippines, something unexpected happened: a boxing star in the country decided to run for president.
Manny Pacquiao's fights have always attracted many boxing fans and sports punters as the Filipino is one of the best boxers in history. These punters can go to site to see the best bookmakers and bet on boxing and other fighting sports with bonuses and many other perks.
However, this run for president is not Pacquiao's entry into politics. In fact, the athlete was once a senator, representing the province of Sarangani. In the presidential election, however, the athlete did not get the victory, ending the election in third place.
In today's article, we'll get to know a little more about this boxing and Philippine legend, looking at his career and historic fights. For this, we had the help of specialist Evelyn Balyton, whose profile you can see by clicking here. So, let’s get things going over here.
The boxer Manny Pacquiao, known as The Pac-man, began his career as a boxer in 1995. He started in the light flyweight division and had his first official fight against Edmund Enting Ignacio, also from the Philippines.
Over the course of his career, Manny has climbed up through the ranks over the years, weighing more than allowed several times, which forced him to move to a heavier division. In his 1996 knockout defeat to Rustico Torrecampo, for example, he was forced to wear heavier gloves because he was overweight.
During the first year of his career, and also the beginning of his second, Pacquiao only faced boxers of the Philippines. It was in April 1996 that he faced his first international opponent, the athlete Ippo Gala from Indonesia. His first title came only in 1997 when he was the flyweight champion in the OPBF competition. The first world title, however, came the following year when he beat Thai athlete Chatchai Sasakul.
It was from 1999 onwards that titles began to come more frequently. In all, there were 11 titles in his career and, in addition, he was the first boxer to win titles in 8 different categories. Throughout his career, he achieved a great record, scoring:
Mayweather is certainly one of the top names in the boxing world, and since Pacquiao is also one, fans have desperately asked for a showdown between the two. Speculation started in 2009, but the fight was only officially confirmed in 2015 and took place in May of that year.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding the fight, as a journalist claimed that Pacquiao was not in his best physical condition and that he had to fight with an injury to his right shoulder. Anyway, the fight happened and Mayweather became the champion of what they called the Fight of the Century.
The victory was given by unanimous decision of the judges; however, this was much criticized by fans, experts on the subject, and even former athletes. According to them, Pacquiao was better in the most important aspect, which was the attack, and that's why he should have been victorious.
Because of this, many people still say that the outcome of the fight was arranged, seeking to ensure Mayweather's supremacy soon after his return to the fighting ring.
Even without the victory in this fight, Manny Pacquiao remained a legendary boxer and, to this day, he remains considered by many to be the second-best in the history of the sport.
Outside the boxing rings, Pacquiao participated in a variety of activities, including politics. In 2010, he began his career in Philippine politics, being elected senator for the province of Sarangani.
In 2021, it was confirmed that he would run for president in the following year's elections by the PROMDI party. At the end of the elections, which took place in May 2022, Manny only managed to finish third. Many fans of the athlete believe, however, that he will seek more political positions in the future and perhaps try to be one of the presidents of the Philippines again in the next elections.
If you're a boxing fan, you can't miss the opportunity to bet on this wonderful sport. The vast majority of betting sites in the Philippines offer box betting and you can even take advantage of bonuses for new bettors to profit more from your bets.
Access the link we left at the beginning of this article, choose one of the suggested bookmakers and start betting on boxing matches today.
