To a large number of people, Manny Pacquiao is a boxer. However, to the people of the Philippines, he is much more than what the ring tells about him. He is also a politician, an ex-military man, singer, actor, basketballer, and a philanthropist among other things. Through the various things that he has been involved in Manny has various awards to show for his dedication and hard work. Here is all to know about him.
Age, Early Life, and Rise to Fame
It was as Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao that Manny (Pacman) was born on December 17, 1978, in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines. He was brought up by his parents, Rosalio and Dionisia Dapidran-Pacquiao alongside five siblings.
Growing up was not one of the easiest things for Manny who was not only raised in a poor family but was homeless by the time he was only 12. This was because his father killed and ate a dog which Manny saved and brought home as a pet.
For his father, eating the dog was the only way he could punish him for bringing the animal home, but for him, it was a sign to leave home. Although his father left his mother for another woman, the greater sin for Manny who would still later reconcile with his father was his pet dog.
After the incident, the boxer left home and went to Manila where he started living on the streets before deciding he wanted to become a professional boxer. Before then, he took up some menial jobs as a construction worker and gardener. Not many people took him seriously when he started out because of his weight, but that did not stop him.
Before he left home, he got his education in General Santos City from the Saavedra Saway Elementary School. However, as a result of poverty, he was forced to drop out to find a way of helping the family make some money.
By the time he was only 15, Manny Pacquiao was already a top junior boxer. That became the start for the man who would go on to enter the ring 69 times and record 60 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws. While he won 39 fights by knockouts, he lost 3 in the same fashion. One of his most popular fights was against Floyd Mayweather Jr, but unfortunately, Pacman lost the fight.
Beyond boxing, Manny is also a politician who is serving as a Senator of the Philippines. More so, he played professional basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association for Kia Picanto. Pacman has also appeared in a number of movies and has a number of musical albums to his name.
Is Manny Pacquiao Gay Or Does He Have A Wife?
Manny is not gay. By the latter part of the 1990s, Manny was introduced to a girl who was working in a shopping mall as an attendant by her uncle. He would keep returning to the mall again and again until the girl decided to go out with the man who was then only a simple guy trying to make a living as a boxer.
Seven months later, Pacquiao and Jinkee Pacquiao became man and wife to the disapproval of his mother who refused to attend the civil ceremony. While that may be a great love story, it was not all rosy as in 2011, Jinkee was ready to walk out on the marriage as a result of the gambling and cheating habits of her husband whom she accused of adultery.
Like the fighter that he is, Manny stepped up and fought for his marriage which he successfully saved and, in the process, became a better Christian. Jinkee Pacquiao and Manny now have five children together.
His Net Worth
Manny Pacquiao has a net worth that has been estimated at $190 million. This was before his fight against Lucas Matthysse which he won. While the prize money is not known, it has been revealed by his adviser Mike Koncz that he took home more than the $20 million, $4 million, and $10 million he made in his three previous fights.
With his fortune, Pacman who has been regarded as the Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s is considered to be one of the richest men in the Philippines.
Height and Weight
No matter how one wants to look at it, Pacquiao is a man who is extremely bigger than his size. While he has an athletic build, he is not the tallest of men that you would find, neither is he the most built considering that he only has a height of 5 feet 5′ inches (166 cm) and a weight of 154 pounds (70 kg).
