June 23. Manny Pacquiao. Manny had a dream, and he wasn’t afraid of the work it would require. When he was little, Manny lived in a shack in a dense Philippines jungle, where his father climbed seventy trees a day and gathered coconuts to get the family some food—not enough food. They usually couldn’t afford rice, and Manny’s ribs and shoulders were clearly visible under his skin.
But Manny made up his mind to become a boxer, and when he was twelve, he quit school and started training hard. At fifteen, to ease the burden on his mother, he stowed away on a boat to Manila and slept on the street, but he got to the gym every day to train.
Manny has won twelve major world titles. On this day in 2001, Manny won the Bantamweight title. And now he is a leading senator in his own country.
“Approximately 19.6 million people have bought one of his pay-per-view fights over the years, with [more than a billion dollars] in revenue made from those 23 pay-per-view bouts.” Today’s story shows what Manny does with his money.
Sometimes the best way to bring about peace is to pick a fight.
It had already been a week, and Manny’s body was still sore. His joints felt stiffer than normal. These days the swelling from his bouts in the ring seemed to be taking their toll longer. Overall, his body just hurt. Age was definitely playing a major role in his less-than-speedy recovery.
He was back home in the Philippines trying to get a few days, maybe even weeks, of rest before he picked his training up again. He mentally replayed the rounds from his last fight against Jeff Horn—a week earlier—in which Manny had lost by a controversial decision. Those losses were always the hardest to accept.
His body was basically screaming at him that it was time to hang up his gloves. But it had been making that claim for years, so he pushed the thought out of his mind.
He had retired once. Not long after the biggest fight of his career and the century, if not of all time, his much-anticipated brawl against undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Manny walked away from boxing. He gave it up. But only for a little while.
Deep down Manny always knew he would fight again. His motivation was just too great. As a matter of fact, that motivation had just showed up and was forming a line outside his house that stretched several blocks. Manny, you see, is a Christ-follower.
He got to his feet while his aging body creaked and shuffled out in his sandals to meet the masses of children who lined the street.
He handed out money to every kid in line. This line was very long, but Manny’s pockets were very deep. And it took some time.
But Manny made sure every child was taken care of.
News reporters didn’t document this charitable act. It wasn’t a publicity stunt. The only certified proof of this great kindness came from random cell phones that waved in the crowd.
“This is why I fight.” Those in need have always been his reason for fighting. “Every income I receive in boxing, almost half of it goes to the less fortunate.” Evidence: he’s had 1,000 houses built in the Sarangani Province, and he’s given them away. No strings attached. Stepping in to help those in need motivates Manny to keep stepping into the ring.
The motivation for his last fight was the same as the motivation for his first fight. When Manny was around nine or ten, his brother was being bullied for being “poorer than dirt.” This didn’t sit too well with the future Hall of Fame boxer. He found the boy who had been tormenting his brother and unleashed his first lightning-fast jab. It only took one punch from Manny to floor his brother’s bully. And he’s been fighting for those in need ever since.
“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed” (Psalm 82:3 NIV).
Who do you know who could use someone to fight for them? Sometimes the best way to bring about peace is to pick a fight.
Boon, Jon. The Sun. “PACMAN Manny Pacquiao’s amazing life story, from sleeping rough in Manila to becoming king of the ring and thought of as the future president of the Philippines.”
Accessed May 11, 2020. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/9523488/manny-pacquiao-life-story-philippines/.
Collins, Penn. “Manny Paquiao Was Handing Out Cash to Kids in the Philippines.” Total Pro Sports. Video. July 10, 2017. https://www.totalprosports.com/2017/07/10/manny-pacquiao-hand-cash-kids-philippines-video/.
Velin, Bob. “Manny Paquiao builds and gives away 1,000 houses in Philippines to poor and homeless.” USA TODAY. October 27, 2016. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2016/10/27/manny-pacquiao-builds-and-gives-away-1000-houses-in-philippines-to-poor-and-homeless/99720880/.