From the ring to politics: what Manny Pacquiao has been up to since retiring from boxing

Any boxing fan between 2009 and 2012 will remember that Manny Pacquiao, at his peak, was nothing short of a legend. From a jaw-dropping knockout of Britain’s Ricky Hatton to his epic four-fight saga with Mexico’s Juan Manuel Márquez, the Filipino fighter earned his place in the sport’s history books.

Pacquiao: a life well lived

In a surprising twist in 2010, he took a sharp turn and entered politics. While still active as a boxer, Pacquiao served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the lone district of Sarangani. His political rise was gradual. In 2016, with over 16 million votes, he won a seat in the Senate – finishing seventh out of 12 elected members, according to reports at the time.

In 2011, Filipino journalist Ryan Songalia, based in New York, described Pacquiao in an NPR interview as a figure born of a “mix between Elvis, Justin Bieber, Michael Jordan and Bill Clinton.” On September 29, 2021, well past his prime, Pacquiao fought for the last time (so far), losing to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugás. He left the sport with a remarkable record of 62 wins, 8 losses and 2 draws (39 KOs).

Just days after that fight, he officially registered his candidacy for the 2022 Philippine presidential election under the PROMDI party. At 42, he was the youngest of the 10 candidates – but lost by a wide margin, finishing third with 3,663,113 votes.

His political career was not without criticism. From his time as a district representative to his years in the Senate, he faced accusations of absenteeism and a lack of engagement with legislative matters. Now, three years later, “Pac Man” is stepping back into the ring to face American Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title – this Saturday, July 19, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

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