Manny Pacquiao: from poverty to boxing royalty


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Manny Pacquiao, one of the most decorated boxers of all time, announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday to concentrate on a run for the presidency in the Philippines.

A world champion in an unprecedented eight divisions, Pacquiao, 42, won title belts from flyweight all the way up to light middleweight.

Below are some facts about Pacquiao.

Embedded with team Pacquiao - in pictures

Humble beginnings

- Pacquiao was born in 1978 in Kibawe in the southern province of Bukidnon. He is one of six siblings raised in a single-parent family and lived in a shack. He quit school at 10. His full name is Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao and he is known in boxing by the nickname 'Pac-Man' and in the Philippines, "Pambansang Kamao" (The National Fist).

- He was introduced by a relative to boxing in General Santos City age 12 and took part in street fights where the winner received 100 pesos ($1.97) and the loser, 50 pesos. "I heard that when you fight, even when you lose, you have money," he said in 2015.

- When he was 14, he was a stowaway on a boat bound for the capital Manila, where lived on the streets and did construction jobs to earn money to send home.

- His talent as a boxer was recognised early on and age 16 he became a junior professional. Filipinos became familiar with him from bouts carried live on television.

Boxing career

- He won his first major title in 1998, age 19, with his World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title knockout of Thai Chatchai Sasakul, in Thailand, a title he retained five months later against Mexican Gabriel Mira.

- On his 21st birthday, Pacquiao added the vacant WBC international super bantamweight title, which he defended five times in the 17 months that followed.

- In June 2001, he added the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight title on his United States debut at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada, the venue for most of his fights in the following two decades. In the past 20 years, Pacquiao has fought in the Philippines only four times.

- As the only fighter to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, many consider Pacquiao the best pound-for-pound boxer of all time.

Politics and money

- Pacquiao had a net worth of $63 million at the end of 2020, according to his statement of assets and liabilities. His 2015 encounter with Floyd Mayweather remains the best-selling pay-per-view (PPV) fight in boxing history, grossing $410 million, and his 24 PPV bouts have generated 20 million buys.

- Pacquiao has juggled his boxing career with one in domestic politics, albeit with frequent absences while preparing for fights. In 2010, he won a seat in Congress at the second attempt and was reelected three years later, despite having one of the worst attendance records in the house.

- In 2016, Pacquiao won a seat in the higher profile Senate, where he co-authored a bill to repeal the death penalty and steadfastly backed President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs, a campaign condemned by the international community for killing thousands of mostly urban poor Filipinos.

- He landed himself in hot water during campaigning for the senate, when he said gay couples were "worse than animals", resulting in sports giant Nike terminating its contract with him, despite Pacquiao apologising for the remark, which saw his opinion poll rating drop.

- Pacquiao this month announced he would run for the presidency.

Manny Pacquiao beyond the ropes series 2019

Part 1: A man who gives hope to the Philippines

Part 2: Turning 40 and no signs of slowing

Part 3: The final chapter - Broner, Mayweather and the fear of going on for too long

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Director: Dexter Fletcher

Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 

THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

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Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

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Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

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Results

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5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

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The specs

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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

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Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
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Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

The biog

Siblings: five brothers and one sister

Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota

Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym

Favourite place: UAE

Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera

What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books

Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company Profile

Company name: Big Farm Brothers

Started: September 2020

Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur

Based: Dubai Investment Park 1

Industry: food and agriculture

Initial investment: $205,000

Current staff: eight to 10

Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets

Updated: September 29, 2021, 5:54 AM