Show Him the Money: How Boxing Changed Manny Pacquiao's Life

From the kid who only wanted to help his family survive, Manny Pacquiao has become a world sports champ whose boxing feats led him to conquer other fields.

Filipino athlete Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao (pronounced as "pac-yaw") scores his eighth boxing title after dismantling Antonio Margarito of Mexico. What could have been a duel with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the recent match catapulted Manny, otherwise known as "Pacman" or "The Destroyer", to a level that other boxers only imagined. It further proves why the Boxing Writers Association of America named him "Fighter of the Decade".

The Boxer's other feats

Outside the ring, Manny Pacquiao is able to send his children to exclusive and pricey private schools. He also does not mind spending thousands of dollars or millions of pesos to help other people and/or to entertain supporters. He recently launched the Manny Pacquiao Foundation to support the education of many poor children in his province.

In their "The Meaning and Mythos of Manny Pacquiao" (2009), Howard Chua-Eon and Ishaan Tharoor find out that his last name is fondly linked to the Tagalog verb "pakyaw" which means "to monopolize, to corner the market, to take everything at wholesale in order to maximize profit." Truly, Manny Pacquiao is the first active boxer who has ventured into entertainment, business, and politics in the Philippines.

The Artist and Entrepreneur

Not only is Manny passionate about boxing, he is also a music lover. A recording artist, he has had several concert gigs, a few of which he gave after his fights for the last couple of years. He has also starred in eight movies since he started acting in 2000. Talks about a possible film with Hollywood action star, Sylvester Stallone, has made the rounds of local show business news.

Pacquiao is a contract talent of one of the country's giant broadcast stations. He has a current sitcom and used to host Pinoy Records, an infotainment program. He likewise guested in international television shows and sports documentaries ("60 Minutes", "HBO Boxing After Dark", and "Jimmy Kimmel Live").

An advertising magnet, Manny Pacquiao has several product endorsements, including a pain reliever medicine and vitamin water. He also owns a local basketball team and sponsors poker tournaments.

Together with his wife, Jinkee, and in collaboration with Niké, Team Pacquiao Store was established. It offers the boxer's own line of clothing, shoes, flip flops, gym bags, and boxing paraphernalia. The couple also has a coffee shop, a gas station, a beauty clinic, and several real estate properties, including houses and commercial buildings. Local buzz has him teaming up with a gambler-politician in running an airport taxi service agency. According to a report by Timothy James (2010), there is also the possibility of having an MP Hotel and a Manny Pacquiao Museum.

The Legislator

As public servant, the boxer was knocked out initially by the woman incumbent of his province. Instead of being discouraged, the loss egged him to try again. This time, however, he ran as a candidate of his wife's home province and proved his detractors wrong.

So far, legislator Manny Pacquiao has done his homework. Before training for his fight with Antonio Margarito, he attended congress sessions. He delivered privilege speeches to advocate for anti-human trafficking and the welfare of Filipino athletes. Current news talk about the possibility of having him as a possible presidential bet 12 years from now, something that stupefies the country's political and legal snobs, including the ruling elite whose support for the boxer is only as good as the result of each boxing match.

Thanks to the guidance of coach Freddie Roach whom he calls, "Master", all these money-making opportunities would have not come Manny Pacquiao's way had he not succeeded as a boxer.

Other sources

Poole, Gary Andrew. 2010. "The Long, Fast Death of Manny Pacquiao". Esquire. November 14. (accessed Novermber 20, 2010).

San Mateo, Jose. 2010. Pacquiao sings, signs autographs at Hiddenbrooke. (accessed November 20, 2010).

Sy, Marvin. 2009. "Grand welcome awaits Pacquiao". The Philippine Star. May 5. (accessed November 20, 2010).


Written by Leann Zarah (leannzarah@gmail.com)

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