Manny Pacquiao is undoubtedly one of the most successful boxers of all time. He has taken part in 71 fights and won 62 of them. Of the remaining nine, just seven were losses, with two matches ending in a draw.
Few boxers can boast such a record. Mike Tyson lost one bout less, but he competed in 18 percent fewer fights. Even the legendary Muhammad Ali lost more times than Pac-Man.
From Kibawe in the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao began competing professionally in January 1995. His first fight was against fellow compatriot, Edmund Enting Ignacio. After four rounds, Pacquiao was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
He competed in 10 fights that year, winning every single one.
The following year saw Pacquiao’s first loss, with Rustico Torrecampo managing a knockout after just three rounds. However, Pacquiao would then fight for over three years before incurring another loss.
His first fight against a non-Filipino national took place in July 1996, with Pacquiao winning a technical knockout after two rounds.
In June 1997, he beat Thailand’s Chokchai Chockvivat to win the OPBF flyweight title, the first of many accolades that he would pick up over his career. A year later, he went one step further by winning the WBC flyweight title.
Over the years following his first world title, Pacquiao competed in and won titles for every weight class up to and including light-middleweight.
Among the more than 70 fights he’s had in his career, Pacquiao has come up against many other greats in the sport, and on most occasions, emerged victorious.
In 2008, he pummeled Oscar De La Hoya in “The Dream Match” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas. Pacquiao was awarded a technical knockout after De La Hoya bowed out before the ninth round.
A year later, he took just six minutes to knock out Ricky Hatton to secure the IBO super lightweight championship. Before that, Hatton had been ranked the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Ring Magazine, who later awarded Pacquiao’s knockout the title of “knockout of the year”.
Just a few months later, Pacquiao beat Miguel Cotto after a full 12 rounds at the same venue. After his victory, the Filipino became the WBO welterweight champion, his seventh different weight class title.
Six years later Pacquiao came up against Floyd Mayweather Jr, an American who retired undefeated with a 50-0 record. Although the Filipino had been defeated before, most of his losses had been earlier in his career.
So when the pair went toe-to-toe during the “Fight of the Century”, professionals making betting predictions and odds struggled to pick a clear favorite as the two were so closely matched. Pacquiao ultimately lost, but this did nothing to hurt his credibility as one of the best boxers of all time.
The Fight of the Century lived up to its name. It saw 4.6 million TV viewers and generated $400 million, both significantly more than any other fight that either had fought.
Using his fame, Pacquiao has begun a career in politics. After the fight with Mayweather, he went into temporary retirement from fighting to avoid breaching election laws in the Philippines.
After being voted into the country’s senate, rumors began circulating that he would return to the boxing ring. A few months later, it was announced he would take on Jessie Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in November 2016. This was won by Pacquiao, allowing him to keep the WBO welterweight title.
According to his former promoter, Bob Arum, Pacquiao is considering running for President of the Philippines in 2022. If he does, there is a good chance he will succeed since he remains an incredibly popular figure in the country.
However, with that prospect two years away, the 41-year-old still plans to fight in 2021. The UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported in mid-December that he has said he is confident he can fight twice in 2021, while the manager of former UFC champion Conor McGregor has said he is expecting the two to compete sometime next year.