Manny Pacquiao Elected to Boxing’s Hall of Fame
Manny Pacquiao has been elected to boxing’s Hall of Fame, and the sun will rise in the East.
There was never a doubt. The only question was when he would stop fighting and become eligible. On June 8, in Canastota, N.Y., Pacquiao will be honored by a sport that never knew what a hit it had when it allowed him into a ring 26 years ago.
A Prolific Career
Before he finally got out and announced his retirement, he had competed from 108 pounds — when he was a street urchin in the Philippines trying to scrape together money for food for his family — to 154 pounds. He won titles in eight weight classes. Nobody else has done that.
A Remarkable Record
He is 46 now, still 5-foot 5-inches, still close to fighting weight and still a lefty fireplug. He finished with a pro record of 62-8-2, including 39 knockouts. As an amateur, he went 60-4. That’s a lot of hitting, and a lot of getting hit. Yet as recently as a year ago, he was trying to drum up a match against Mario Barrios, a decent fighter. That the fight never happened might be proof that God is a boxing fan.
The Thurman Fight
For those of us observing all this over the years, enough was enough in July 2019 when, at age 40, Pacquiao took on a younger, stronger Keith Thurman and won the World Boxing Assn. super welterweight title. Ballet dancers don’t last till they are 40, much less somebody getting hit in the head for more than two decades.
A Luring Legacy
Pacquiao, right, throws a punch at Keith Thurman during their welterweight fight in Las Vegas in July 2019.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
A Career of Many Highlights
The Thurman fight was under the bright lights of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where Pacquiao had made his boxing home. At various times there, he had caught the Brit Ricky Hatton with one of the prettiest KO punches ever, had effectively ended Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy career, had fought a lucrative trilogy with Tim Bradley, had been knocked out so convincingly by Juan Manuel Marquez that many at ringside thought he was dead and had lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the largest-grossing fight in history.
The Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight
The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on May 2, 2015, sold 4.6 million pay-per-views, sold 10,000 tickets at $10 each for the weigh-in (men standing in their underwear on a scale), attracted $100 million in legal Vegas wagers and forced the partial closure of the private-plane area of McCarran airport because of all the celebrity traffic.
A Lasting Impression
In Pacquiao’s fight against Thurman, he connected with a body punch that sent Thurman to the canvas. Thurman said later that that body punch had been so lethal that he had to take out his mouthguard so he could breathe again. Pacquiao knocked Thurman down again later, then Thurman overcame whatever empathy he had for the elderly and made it a great fight. But Pacquiao had gotten too far ahead and won with a split decision.
Retirement
In Pacquiao’s dressing room area afterward, well-wishers and boxing groupies made it crowded and chaotic, even more than usual. It was almost as if his handlers knew that this was it, that a wonderful career was ending on a wonderful note, so let’s let everybody in. But Pacquiao, trying to look celebratory while actually looking exhausted and depleted, was a cautionary tale for any 40-year-old exchanging a thousand punches in 45 minutes with somebody about half his age.
A New Chapter
By then, Pacquiao had become a Philippine senator, one of only 24, and the ambitious post-fight plan had been to get him showered and immediately on a plane back to the Philippines so he could attend a state of the union speech.
A Return to Politics
After that, Pacquiao went on to become one of 24 sitting senators in the Philippines and ran for president of the country in 2022. He got more than 3 million votes, but finished third. The winner was Bongbong Marcos, son of former president Ferdinand Marcos and mom Imelda, she of the world’s largest shoe collection.
Conclusion
Manny Pacquiao’s election to the Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of his remarkable career in the sport of boxing. With his numerous titles, impressive record, and enduring legacy, he will be remembered as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
FAQs
Q: When is Manny Pacquiao being inducted into the Hall of Fame?
A: Manny Pacquiao is being inducted into the Hall of Fame on June 8, 2023.
Q: How many titles did Manny Pacquiao win in his boxing career?
A: Manny Pacquiao won titles in eight weight classes.
Q: What is Manny Pacquiao’s current occupation?
A: Manny Pacquiao is a Philippine senator.
Q: Has Manny Pacquiao retired from boxing?
A: Yes, Manny Pacquiao has retired from boxing and is currently focusing on his political career.
