By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – In the Philippines, when Manny Pacquiao fought, time itself seemed to pause. Streets emptied. Shopping malls morphed into impromptu arenas, alive with the roar of hopeful crowds glued to giant screens. Crime, astonishingly, dipped to near zero.
For those 12 rounds or sometimes fewer, an entire nation held its collective breath, not merely watching a boxing match but witnessing a living legend carving a path from dreams to destiny.
Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, is more than a fighter. He is a national heartbeat. Now, his name is etched in the annals of boxing history, immortalized among the sport’s greatest in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. That moment — a culmination of sweat, sacrifice, and faith — was sealed in a heartfelt ceremony held at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York on Monday (Manila time), where Pacquiao headlined the Hall’s 2025 class of inductees.
“I came from nothing. Just a small boy from the streets of General Santos City. No shoes. No food. No chance. Just a dream in my heart. I know hunger. I know pain. I know what it means to be counted out,” he said, his words a raw echo of a childhood many could hardly imagine.
“But I also know what God can do when you keep the faith and never give up.”
His Hall of Fame induction speech was a vivid tapestry of struggle and triumph.
“Boxing gave me a way out. It turned my struggles into strength, my failures into lessons. And my pain into purpose.”
Pacquiao recounted his journey through weight classes — from flyweight to junior middleweight — conquering eight divisions along the way. Each victory wasn’t just personal; it was a step away from poverty and toward hope.
“It was not just for me but for my family, for the Filipino people, and to all the fans, and for the glory of our God.”
In his speech, “Pacman,” the nickname he rightfully earned for devouring opponents with speed and ferocity, explained why he refused to settle in one weight division.
“I never chase greatness. I just worked hard to be better than the Manny Pacquiao I was yesterday. I never picked the easy fights. I chose the hard ones. I moved up weight one after weight, not to protect a record but to test my limits,” he shared.
He painted a portrait not of a man chasing glory, but of a relentless soul constantly reaching beyond his own shadow.
“And now, when I look back — eight division world champion, world titles in four different decades, oldest welterweight champion in history. Those are not opinions, those are facts,” he said.
Tears almost welled as he dedicated his induction to every underdog, every dreamer who refuses to surrender despite the odds.
“To the Filipino people, to the fans all over the world, thank you for your love, for your prayers and to your support all throughout these years.” His voice cracked under the weight of gratitude, “You carried me to every victory and every defeat.”
The 46-year-old Pacquiao did not forget those who shaped his journey. He thanked the fans, promoters, and mentors, with special mentions to Bob Arum, the promoter behind his biggest fights; his coaches, Buboy Fernandez and Freddie Roach, the guiding hands who sharpened his craft; and most especially, his wife Jinkee and their children.
“You are the reason I fight beyond the ring,” he told his family.
He closed with a scripture that had been his guiding light: “Joshua 1:9. Be courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you.”
“That’s what happened to me. He was with me from the slums of Sarangani, to the bright lights of Las Vegas, to here in the International Boxing Hall of Fame,” he said.
After figuring in some of the biggest blockbuster fights of the 2000s, Pacquiao retired professionally in 2021 with a record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts. But his fight days aren’t over yet as he steps out of a short-lived retirement to challenge World Boxing Council welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 19.
Pacquiao is now the fourth Filipino in the Boxing Hall of Fame, joining Gabriel “Flash” Elorde who was enshrined in 1993, Pancho Villa in 1994, and promoter Lope Sarreal Sr. in 2005. (PNA)
