Manny Pacquiao | Profile

Record
Lightweight : 47-3-2 36 KOs
Date of Birth : December 17, 1978
Hometown : Kibawe, Philippines
Height : 5'6.5"

Fighter Bio
Updated August 21, 2008

* MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO
* Age: 29 (12-17-78)
* Residence: General Santos City, Philippines
* Birthplace: Kibawe, Philippines
* Record: 47-3-2, 35 KOs
* Height: 5’6.5”
* Reach: 67”
* Trainer: Freddie Roach

(47-3-2, 35 KOs)…

World championship fights - 8-1-2, 7 KOs…

WBC lightweight world champion...

Ranked The Ring #1 “Pound for Pound”...

Former WBC super featherweight world champion...

Boxing Writers Association of America “2006 Fighter of the Year”...

The Ring “2006 Fighter of the Year”...

Former WBC International super featherweight champion, three successful defenses…

Former IBF jr. featherweight world champion, four successful defenses…

Former WBC flyweight world champion, one successful defense…

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 29, Manny is a 13-year pro - he made his debut at 16. He has been fighting at the top levels of competition and given some of the most exciting performances in recent years.

He is also recognized by most knowledgeable observers as the best fighter at any weight in the ring today.

Manny has held world titles in four weight divisions - he won the WBC flyweight world title two weeks before his 20th

birthday in December, 1998, the IBF jr. featherweight world title at 22 in 2001, and the WBC super featherweight world title in March, 2008.

He won the WBC lightweight world title in his last fight in June, 2008, with a ninth-round TKO against defending champion David Diaz.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: The Pacman gobbled up yet another opponent in a sensational performance, perhaps the best of his career. Moving up in weight again, Pacquiao, 29, the national hero of the Philippines, looked awesome in destroying the 32-year-old Diaz, the 1996 U.S. Olympian from Chicago who was making his second title defense. In his first defense last summer, Diaz retired the great Erik Morales, Pacquiao’s old rival. Against Pacquiao, Diaz was simply outgunned and had absolutely no chance to deal with his speed and power.

Pacquiao won every second of every round, but the match was entertaining to watch because Diaz never stopped trying to win. He just couldn’t succeed. Pacquiao ripped open a cut over Diaz’s right eye in the fourth round and cracked him with punches from all angles with both hands until he finally knocked him to the canvas face-first in the ninth, at which point there was no need for the fight to continue. Referee Vic Drakulich stopped it without a count, thankfully.

Even before the fight, Pacquiao was a lock first-ballot Hall of Famer. He owns two wins in three fights with Morales, has twice manhandled Marco Antonio Barrera and is 1-0-1 against Juan Manuel Marquez (no matter how disputed both outcomes are). With the win against Diaz, Pacquiao further enhanced his historic résumé by claiming his fifth title in five divisions. He’d already won belts at flyweight, junior featherweight and junior lightweight. And when he knocked out Barrera in their first meeting in 2003, he earned the lineal featherweight title. The victory over Diaz was as convincing as it gets and was the kind of statement Pacquiao needed to make to rightfully take his place atop the pound-for-pound list in the wake of Floyd Mayweather’s retirement....

Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported: It had been quite a performance by Pacquiao, who is surely the world’s top fighter, weight-for-weight. He dominated and ultimately destroyed Diaz. On this night, Pacquiao looked the perfect fighting machine.

Manny won the WBC super featherweight world title in March, 2008, with a 12 round decision victory in the rematch against defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez. It was one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the year, and one of the most exciting.

Manny was named “2006 Fighter of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring.

From TheRing-online.com: “It’s amazing what a little guy with a big smile and an even bigger punch can accomplish. While the heavyweight division was bogged down by mediocrity last year, the junior lightweight class soared to new heights thanks in large part to Manny Pacquiao, The Ring’s 2006 Fighter of the Year.”
Manny’s nickname is “PacMan.” His webpage address is mannypacquiao.ph.

Key Fights – 2008 – WON WBC L WORLD TITLE - in his last fight on 6-28-08 in Las Vegas, NV, 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, and drew a crowd of about 3,000; 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 under 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 the 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 an 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 in the 3rd round with a body punch, 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...he has an older sister, Zedra, and two younger brothers - Bobby, who is also a professional boxer, and Rogel...their parents were vegetable farmers, and are now estranged...Manny built a house for his mother close to his own...his father still lives in the mountains...

When Manny was 12, he moved to Manila and sold cigarettes 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.”…

Manny turned pro at 16 and won the Oriental-Pacific flyweight title when he was 18; he invited 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 serious motorcycle accident and no longer boxes...

He has become a national hero in the Philippines, and a a movie star, as well – he has starred in popular Filipino action movies with his friend, Mikey Arroyo, the son of the Philippines President…Manny enjoys playing pool in his spare time…

From BoxingConfidential.com, Feb. 5, 2007: Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao and his brother Bobby today went to a school in General Santos City to take a special exam that would allow them to get the equivalent of high school units of educational attainment.

Both Pacquiaos only finished elementary grades, they admit, due to extreme poverty when they were still growing up - a fact they have not forgotten now despite owning million dollar bank accounts from their boxing earnings.

At the Department of Education Testing Center, the fighting brothers took the High School Equivalency Test for six hours, a process Manny called “very, very tiring.”

The brothers were administered exams in English, Filipino, Social Studies, Mathematics and Science.

“He was very determined to pass, just as he is very determined to win in his fights. He had read the questions very religiously, and answered them well,” said a DepEd official when interviewed by the media.

The examinations started at 1:00 PM and ended at 6:30 PM, a process described by Pacquiao as more tiring that his trilogy with Erik Morales.

Manny and his wife Jinky have three children…

STRENGTHS: A natural lefthander with good skills, speed, and movement…has tremendous punching power in both hands…has shown great improvement in his right hook...physically strong, is always in top condition…is experienced against top opposition…

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 52 fights…280 total rounds…66 world championship rounds…

AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 5.3 rounds…

KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: 74 %…

DISTANCE FIGHTS: 12 rounds – 5 (3-1-1)…11 rounds – 1 (1-0)...10 rounds – 5 (5-0)…

Source: http://www.toprank.com/fighters/profile/manny-pacquiao

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