Long way from a buck and a half

Manny Pacquiao was 16 when he made his professional boxing debut on Jan 25, 1996, and pocketed the princely sum of $1.50 for a four-round decision over Edmund Ignacio.

Fast-forward 18 years, eight world titles and roughly a quarter of a billion dollars later, and the pride of the Philippines flashes a big smile when he recalls that first payday.

"I was so happy and so proud to get that dollar and half. It was a very big moment for me," says Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs), who was to return to Cotai Arena in Macao on Nov 23 to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against undefeated American challenger Chris Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs).

"I earned the same money for my next fight and the one after that, too, I think. I had to fight six or seven times before I got the pay up to $100," Pacquiao says.

He reeled off 11 straight wins (four by KO) before getting knocked out in three rounds by fellow Filipino Rustico Torrecampo in 1996, but he rebounded to stop Thailand's Charchai Sasakul for the World Boxing Council's flyweight championship two years later.

"Winning my first world title is a very special memory, but I also like to remember what it was like early in my career when I had nothing only a dream to keep working to become a great champion."

"I watched fighters like Roy Jones and Oscar De La Hoya and tried to learn from them. Even Mike Tyson. All great champions have their own way of doing things, and I studied them. I also had great support from my family and friends, because they knew it was always my dream to become a world champion."

On the way to morphing into one of the best pound-for-pound punchers on the planet and arguably one of the 10 greatest boxers in the history of the sport, Pacquiao has transcended the sweet science in ways that have drawn comparisons to Muhammad Ali. A huge supporter of charity work long before mega-paydays became his norm, he has quietly donated more than $100 million of his winnings to build hospitals, schools and youth shelters in his homeland.

But Pacquiao's extracurricular activities may have taken a toll since he was elected to the Philippines' congress in 2010. He has worked very hard to prove himself an adroit politician, sponsoring a bill for the establishment of an independent federal boxing commission and spearheading dozens of initiatives to improve the lives of his compatriots.

He has also lent his name and financial muscle to causes ranging from identifying and prosecuting sex slave traffickers to establishing a pension fund for former boxers.

Still, the numbers suggest he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

In his four fights before he became a congressman, Pacquiao needed a total of just 31 rounds to stop David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto inside the distance. He also registered six knockdowns.

In eight fights since he was elected, Pacquiao has lost twice (including one knockout), scored zero KOs and has just two knockdowns in 90 rounds.

See a pattern here?

"I've said that if Manny were to get knocked out in this fight, I would tell him to quit," says his trainer Freddie Roach, a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "But his work ethic is still the best, so I'm really looking forward to getting back to training camp. I'm his trainer, but I'm more his friend. I'm not going to let anything stand in the way of him having a tremendous performance against Aligeri."

Pacquiao is pumped about returning to Macao, where he won a lopsided unanimous decision over Brandon Rios for the WBO title last autumn.

"Chinese boxing fans are getting more and more sophisticated. They are great students of the sport and they really show their appreciation for it," Pacquiao says. "I think Macao is becoming one of the most important boxing centers in the world, thanks to the Venetian Resort and Top Rank."

"Asia needed a place where Chinese fighters could be showcased to the world, and now with Zou Shiming, Rex Tso and other Chinese boxers becoming so popular, it will only get bigger."

When it is finally time to close the curtain on his punch-for-pay career, "Pac Man" will exit with no regrets.

"My mother has been telling me to quit for the last couple of years," Pacquiao says with a chuckle. "Other people, too but I don't have to listen to them. But when a mother tells her son to do something, it is hard to go the other way.

"I've fought a lot of tough guys, but I don't want to fight my mom."

Which only proves that even for the great ones, some things never change.

murraygreig@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 11/21/2014 page8)