Pancho Villa / Flash Elorde / Manny Pacquiao — ‘Filipino Boxing Greats’
A teenage Manny Pacquiao @ LM Gym, Manila, Philippines (1996)
The Kid from General Santos City
Manny Pacquiao ran away from his impoverished home at the age of 14 in order to lessen the burden of his mother, who was raising six children alone in General Santos City in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. He found work in Manila in warehouses and construction sites but drifted back to his great love, boxing. He turned pro in 1995 when he was 16 — and a light flyweight at just 106 lbs. (TIME, Photo Credit: Gerhard Joren - OnAsia)
Manny Pacquiao on TIME Magazine Cover
On the heels of his first primetime television appearance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and his recognition as a 2009 Gusi Peace Prize laureate, boxing phenom Manny Pacquiao now finds himself on the cover of TIME Magazine Asia edition as part of a five page feature story on the boxing Champion that will be included in all editions (global and US market) of the magazine hitting newsstands this weekend. With the population of Asia being the largest in the world, Pacquiao is overwhelmed with the idea of so many people seeing his face on the cover of such a prestigious magazine.
“I absolutely had no idea that when I started my career in boxing, to provide a better life for myself and my family, that I would now be where I am today and on the cover of TIME Magazine,” said Pacquiao.
“A fighter’s dream is to win a world title and gain financial stability. But what is happening to me now is the most humbling experience of my life. It is a great honor for me to be the face of my people and to let everyone know we are a small but mighty country. I have great pride for all of the Filipinos living throughout the world and it is these people that I fight for each and every time I step into the ring.” (Fightnews)
Week in pictures: 9-15 May - BBC
Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao waved at fans during a parade in the Tondo district of Manila. Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to welcome him home after he won the IBO light-welterweight title.
Philippines celebrates triumph by Jim Gomez - AP
MANILA, Philippines (AP)—Huge crowds cheered Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao as a convoy paraded him from Manila’s squalid slums to the presidential palace in a government-declared national celebration Monday for his latest win. (Continued)
In pictures: Hero’s welcome for boxer Pacquiao - BBC
Boxer Manny Pacquiao is a hero in the Philippines after knocking out the UK’s Ricky Hatton to claim the IBO light-welterweight title in Las Vegas on 2 May. On Monday, tens of thousands of Filipinos lined the streets of Manila to welcome him home. (Continued)
Maraming salamat sa inyo, taas noo tayong mga Pilipino kahit saan sulok ng mundo.
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| — | Manny Pacquiao (Philippines Arrival Statement) |
In pictures: Philippines celebrates boxing win - BBC
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao has won the IBO light-welterweight world title after knocking out Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas. The fight was much anticipated in his home country, where he is regarded as a hero. (Continued)
