50 Fun Facts About Manny Pacquiao

In which Philippine province was Manny Pacquiao born?

He was born in Kibawe on Mindanao and raised in General Santos further south on the same island.

In which city was Manny Pacquiao raised?

He began boxing in a park there after six months of training in his uncle's makeshift home gym.

At what age did Pacquiao move to Manila and live on the streets?

He worked construction and had to choose between eating and sending money home to his mother.

Which 1990 fight did Pacquiao say 'changed my life forever' when he watched it with his uncle?

His maternal uncle Sardo Mejia introduced him to boxing at 12 and started training him at home.

In which weight class did Pacquiao make his professional debut in January 1995?

He was 16 and weighed around 106 pounds; he would go on to win titles all the way up to 154.

Who handed Pacquiao his first professional defeat, a third-round knockout in his twelfth fight?

Pacquiao had missed weight and was made to wear heavier gloves than his opponent.

Pacquiao's first world title, won at 19 in 1998, came in which division?

He stopped Chatchai Sasakul in eight rounds for the WBC and lineal belts, then lost them to Medgoen Singsurat in Thailand.

Pacquiao won his second world title in 2001 as a late replacement on how much notice?

He stopped IBF super bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba at the MGM Grand, his US breakthrough.

Pacquiao's long-time trainer Freddie Roach owns which Los Angeles gym?

Roach was in his corner for 34 straight fights from 2001 until the 2018 Matthysse bout.

At which venue did Pacquiao stop Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003?

It was his featherweight debut, and many consider the eleventh-round TKO in San Antonio the fight that defined his career.

Which Mexican three-division champion beat Pacquiao on points in March 2005?

Pacquiao avenged it with a tenth-round stoppage in 2006 and a third-round knockout in the rubber match.

Which honour did President Arroyo bestow on Pacquiao the day after he beat Óscar Larios in 2006?

It came with the rank 'Champion for Life' and a ceremony at Malacañang Palace.

Beating David Díaz in June 2008 made Pacquiao a world champion in how many divisions?

He was the first Filipino to win a title at lightweight; the eighth division came against Margarito in 2010.

What was Pacquiao's December 2008 bout with Oscar De La Hoya billed as?

De La Hoya's corner pulled him out after eight rounds and he retired soon afterwards.

Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton with less than ten seconds left in which round?

Hatton had already been down twice in round one; the left hook landed at 2:59 of the second.

Which opponent agreed to a 145-pound catchweight for a 2009 fight billed 'Firepower'?

Pacquiao stopped him at 0:55 of the twelfth to become the first seven-division champion.

Where did Pacquiao throw a career-high 1,231 punches against Joshua Clottey in 2010?

Clottey's tight guard blocked most of them; Pacquiao landed 246 and won every round on one card.

Beating whom in November 2010 gave Pacquiao a world title in a record eighth weight division?

It was for the vacant WBC super welterweight title at a 150-pound catchweight; Pacquiao weighed in at 144.6.

Who sang 'Eye of the Tiger' live as Pacquiao walked to the ring to face Shane Mosley in 2011?

LL Cool J performed for Mosley's entrance; Pacquiao dropped him in round three and cruised.

Who took Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title by a widely derided split decision in 2012?

ESPN scored it 119–109 for Pacquiao; he won the rematch and the rubber match by unanimous decision.

Who knocked Pacquiao out cold with one second left in the sixth round in December 2012?

It was their fourth fight and Pacquiao's first knockout loss in 13 years; The Ring named it Fight and Knockout of the Year.

Pacquiao's first fight in China, against Brandon Ríos in 2013, was held in which city?

He returned to the Venetian's Cotai Arena a year later to floor Chris Algieri six times.

How many official knockdowns did Pacquiao score against Chris Algieri in November 2014?

The judges scored it 119–103, 119–103 and 120–102.

Pacquiao said he fought Floyd Mayweather in 2015 with which injury?

The right-shoulder injury needed surgery; the fight drew a record 4.4 million US pay-per-view buys.

Pacquiao lost his WBO title to Jeff Horn in 2017 in front of 51,052 fans in which city?

Twelve of 15 media outlets scored it for Pacquiao, and the WBO re-scored the fight but let the result stand.

Who trained Pacquiao for the 2018 Lucas Matthysse fight in place of his long-time trainer?

The Kuala Lumpur stoppage was Pacquiao's first knockout in more than eight years.

In which country did Pacquiao stop Lucas Matthysse in July 2018?

He dropped Matthysse in rounds three, five and seven at the Axiata Arena to win the WBA (Regular) welterweight belt.

Beating whom in July 2019 made Pacquiao, at 40, the oldest welterweight world champion ever?

He dropped Thurman in round one and won a split decision for the WBA (Super) title.

Why did Errol Spence Jr. withdraw from his scheduled August 2021 fight with Pacquiao?

Yordenis Ugás stepped in off the undercard and beat Pacquiao on points in what became his last pro fight for four years.

How did Pacquiao's July 2025 comeback fight against Mario Barrios end?

Two judges had it 114–114 and one 115–113 for Barrios, who kept the WBC welterweight title.

Pacquiao's 2024 exhibition against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo was staged under which promotion?

With no judges and no knockout, the Saitama bout was declared a draw.

In how many weight divisions has Pacquiao won world titles, a record?

He holds twelve major world titles in all and lineal championships in four divisions.

Pacquiao is the only boxer to hold world titles across how many different decades?

He was a champion in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

Which boxing historian ranked Pacquiao the greatest southpaw of all time?

DAZN ranked him No. 1 among boxers of the past 30 years in 2021.

Which 2025 WBC award completed a legacy 'triple crown' Pacquiao shares only with Sugar Ray Robinson?

He had already been named Fighter of the Year and Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, Pacquiao did what for the Philippines?

He was the first non-competitor ever to carry the Philippine flag; he has never boxed at the Games.

Pacquiao's first election defeat came in 2007 when he ran for Congress in which province?

Incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio said voters 'weren't prepared to lose him as their boxing icon'.

Pacquiao was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 for which province, his wife's home?

He crushed the Chiongbian clan, who had held power there for more than 30 years, by 120,052 votes to 60,899.

In which year was Pacquiao elected to the Philippine Senate?

He polled more than 16 million votes to finish seventh in the nationwide race.

Who beat Pacquiao in the 2022 Philippine presidential election?

Pacquiao finished third with roughly four million votes and conceded to the landslide winner.

Pacquiao joined the Philippine Basketball Association in 2014 as player-coach of which team?

He picked himself 11th overall in the draft, becoming the oldest rookie ever drafted in the league.

Pacquiao founded which competition in 2017, initially semi-professional?

It started semi-professional and turned fully professional in 2022; he retired as a PBA player in 2018 with fewer than 15 career points.

Pacquiao's cover of which Dan Hill song reached No. 19 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart?

He first sang it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2009, prompting a Drake parody.

Pacquiao starred in which 2009 Filipino superhero comedy film?

Released on Christmas Day as a Metro Manila Film Festival entry, it flopped like his earlier films.

Which actor narrated the documentary 'Manny' about Pacquiao's life?

Two dramatised films also exist: Pacquiao: The Movie (2006) and Kid Kulafu (2015) about his childhood.

Which sportswear giant dropped Pacquiao in 2016 over his remarks about same-sex marriage?

He apologised but maintained his religious opposition; an LA shopping mall also banned him.

What rank does Pacquiao hold in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army?

He enlisted as a sergeant in 2006 and rose through the ranks, becoming a full colonel after the General Staff Course.

In which year was Pacquiao inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame?

The same year The Ring ranked him second only to Mayweather among pound-for-pound fighters of the 21st century.

Roughly how much revenue had Pacquiao's pay-per-view fights generated by 2015?

That came from 25 PPV bouts; Forbes ranked him the world's second-highest-paid athlete in 2012 and 2015.

Which character in the mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was inspired by Pacquiao?

A skin turns the character into the real boxer; he is also playable in the Fight Night series.