Dr Pacquiao's Long Road

Some readers will not agree with part of the title of a new book about the life and boxing career of Manny Pacquiao.

Mr Floyd Mayweather Jr is certainly one of them.

The book, written by Gary Andrew Pool, is titled PACMAN – Behind the Scenes with Manny Pacquiao – The Greatest Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World.

It’s all about the fighter who has been named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”.

The Boxing Writer’s Association of America has named him Fighter of the Decade and he has been chosen three times as Fighter of the Year by The Ring .

Manny Pacquiao is therefore a truly outstanding person.

Of course, Mayweather will disagree with the part of the title that says “Greatest Pound-for Pound Fighter in the World”. But the American will have to get into the ring with Pacquiao to disprove the claim.

Poole, who has written for the New York Times, USA Today, Time and The Atlantic has done a fine job in tracing the life of the only boxer to have won seven world organisation belts in seven weight divisions.

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao was born on December 17, 1978. Like most Filipinos he was raised in poverty.

The family lived on Mindanao Island in the Philippines. Manny was 15 when he left the cardboard shack to try earn a living in the capital, Manila.

SELLING DOUGHNUTS

He sold doughnuts on the street, worked in construction and began boxing in an old gymnasium when he was 16.

He later also tried his hand at acting and recording music and, having become the hero of the nation, went into politics. He was elected as a congressman in the House of Representatives, representing the province of Sarangani.

But he has never forgotten the first ten years of his life. Mindanao Island is in the fourth poorest province in the Philippines, and recently become known as a place where terrorists have massacred a number of journalists. However, in February 2007 he passed a high school equivalency exam, which made him eligible for college education.

And in February 2009 he was received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa), by Southwestern University in Lehug, Cebu City, in recognition of his boxing achievements and humanitarian work.

Manny was one of six children who lived near a river where people bathed, washed their clothes and hoped to escape with their lives during the flooding season.

His path away from poverty began in 1995 when he began boxing professionally. In December 1998 he won his first title when he knocked out Chatchai Sasakul in the eighth round to take over the WBC flyweight belt.

Since then he has picked up weight, winning titles along the way until he added the WBC light-middleweight belt to his collection.

STRANGE HANGERS-ON

Many stories have been told about his wealth and the large group of hangers-on receiving handouts from him. Many of them appear from nowhere and some even sleep at the foot of his bed.

Among the strange characters around him is a personal biographer whose work has never been near publication. He also has a personal car washer who makes $200 per wash, three times a week. The car-wash establishment down the street charges $8.99.

There is also a live-in dog walker and someone whose sole duty is to hold an exercise mat until Manny is ready to do sit-ups.

According to the biography, a few trusted ones hold suitcases full of cash. Others don’t seem to have any duties other than to walk near the champion.

Pacquiao has been married to Minky for ten years, although there have been reports of extramarital affairs.

The 251-page paperback, a compelling read, is published by Da Capo Press.