Manny Pacquiao’s fighting days aren’t finished yet, as he’s coming out of retirement at 46 for a shot at another title next month.
No matter what happens in the remaining stage, it’s hard to find many better resumes than the one he already assembled in a career that landed him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday.
“And now, when I look back,” Pacquiao said, “eight-division world champion, world titles in four different decades, oldest welterweight world champion in history, those are not just opinions. They are facts.”
Pacquiao was the headline name in the class of 2025 that was enshrined during a ceremony at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. He won’t be able to celebrate too long, as then it’s back to training for his July 19 bout in Las Vegas against WBC champ Mario Barrios.
Pacquiao didn’t mention that during his speech at the end of a lengthy induction ceremony. Instead he focused on the record-setting accomplishment of winning titles in eight weight classes, a fighter who made his pro debut in the 106-pound class and rose all the way to win a title at the 154-pound limit.
“From flyweight to junior middleweight, eight divisions,” Pacquiao said. “Every fight, every victory was a step further from poverty. It was not just for me but for my family, for the Filipino people.”
Taking a respite from his training, Pacquiao dedicated his joining the pantheon of greats to all dreamers and underdogs out there and also thanked his family and the men that helped him become a boxing legend.
“I dedicate this moment to every underdog, dreamer, person who keeps fighting even when the odds are against them,” said Pacquiao. “To my wife Jinkee, and our children Jimuel, Michael, Princess, Queenie, and Israel. You’re my heart.”
“To the Filipino people, and all the fans all over the world, thank you for your love, prayers, and support all these years,” he added.
The only eight-division world champion in boxing history was joined by his fellow inductees including Vinny Paz, Michael Nunn, and referee Kenny Bayless. Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee watched him deliver his speech alongside the fans inside the venue.
“Boxing gave me a way out, it turned my struggles into strength, my failures into lessons, and my pain into purpose, from flyweight to middleweight, eight divisions,” said Pacquaio. “Every fight, every victory was a step further from poverty. It was not just for me but for my family, for the Filipino people.”
“Eight-division world champion, world titles in four different decades, oldest welterweight world champion in history, those are not just opinions. They are facts,” he added as the crowd cheered their hearts out by calling his name like in the old days.
Women in the class included Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis, Mary Jo Sanders and Cathy “Cat” Davis, who after filing a sex discrimination suit against New York State Athletic Commission became one of the first women to be granted a pro boxing license by the organization in 1978.
Pacquiao retired in 2021 with a record of 62-8-2 with 39 KOs, fighting in some of the biggest blockbusters of the 2000s. He said he always sought the toughest opponents so he could continuing testing himself.
That made him far richer than he could have imagined when he was raised in poverty in the Philippines. He went on to serve his country as a senator from 2016-22 and ran unsuccessfully for president, and his voice broke a bit as he thanked his fans from home along with his family.
“This is our victory,” Pacquiao said. “This is our story and the best is yet to come.” (AP/Mark Rey Montejo)
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