10 Things you probably did not know about Manny Pacquiao

The fight of the century broke the internet and most of the fans out there are still pretty much in a hangover. For some it lived up to the expectations and for others it didn’t, but what mattered is the effort that both the boxers put in. Although, the end result went in favour of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao will be heading home with his head held high.He had the entire fan base behind him throughout the match and managed to win hearts, even though he lost the match. There is, however, more than what meets the eye when it comes to Manny, and here is a look at some of the things you probably did not know about him.

#10 He takes his cook along with him wherever he goes

Being a boxer, there is a lot of travelling involved and one might not like the food in every place he or she visits. Manny overcomes this problem by bringing his cook along with him. The personal chef of Manny is known to cook exclusive Filipino Cuisine for the boxer and there is a private section in the main kitchen of Mandalay Bay reserved for him.

Steamed white rice and beef broth is what Manny eats for most of his meals while he drinks only warm water or something near room temperature.

#9 $2 per match

Manny turned professional when he was 17 years old and ended up being a star in the Philippines boxing circuit in no time. It was the weekly television show called ‘Blow by Blow’ that gave him the fame and the money that Manny earned for each match was just $2. And from that fee he sent half to his mother.

He suffered his first defeat in his 12th match and it was also his first professional knockout. Two years later, at the age of 19, Manny won the WBC flyweight championship by beating Chatchai Sasakul in Thailand. This proved to be the career changer for Manny and he earned almost $100 Million for his fight against Mayweather. Calculate the difference between $2 and $100 million that is how success tastes.

#8 Crime Rates drop when he fights and he plans to run for president

Manny is the biggest star in Philippines, period. He has appeared in a number of films and television shows back in his home country and he is famous for his rebel commander role called PacMan, which is a superhero who fights crime. Philippines recently announced May 2nd as a public holiday so that the citizens could tune into Manny’s match.

Keeping all these aside, what makes Manny a phenomenon is the crime rate in his country. Whenever he fights, the crime rate in the country drops radically and the war-torn south declares truce for the period. After his career, Manny is expected to run for president and will have no trouble winning.

#7 A photographer, a chess player and a singer?

Manny’s heroics in the boxing ring are no secret around the world but how many of you know Manny the photographer or Manny the chess player or Manny the singer? Not many, right?

Manny recently purchased two flagship cameras of Cannon, the 1DX, fully loaded with lenses and accessories to meet his photographic needs. Also, Manny is known to be a decent chess player as well. He also released a single called 'Sometimes When We Touch' in his native language and though it is not as impressive as the ones we usually hear, Manny did try his best to come out looking good.

Oh, and yeah, he is a self-taught piano player.

#6 Manny the Basketball player

Forget his skills in chess, photography and boxing, Manny once had a basketball career. After being an honorary member of the Boston Celtics, Manny decided to join the Philippine Basket Ball association as a player-coach for the Kia Motors team. His dreams failed to come true due to the association’s draft regulations but Manny did play semi-professional basketball.

He played for the MP-Gensan Warrior Team which he now owns. He did get a lot of criticism for his basketball career as many thought that he should concentrate on boxing. And guess what, Manny was the shortest ever basketball player in the country’s history.

#5 Charity Machine

Back in Philippines, Manny is known as “the single biggest one-man charity institution in the country”. He has helped the nation on various occasions and his best work came during the tropical storm that hit Mindanao in 2011. And since he contributed a lot, the country decided to name a welfare state after him.

He is also setting up the first modern hospital in the Sarangani Province of Philippines and the hospital is all set to include a 2000 sq. ft. dental clinic. Manny is currently under the investigation of American and Filipino Tax Authorities for alleged unpaid taxes but since he is giving so much to charity, they shouldn’t care right?

#4 Manny is a strong believer

The debates between believers and atheists might be going to a whole different level these days, but no matter what Manny is a strong believer of the Almighty. He is known to get his trunks and gloves blessed before every match and stars his every morning by reading the bible.

And if it wasn’t enough, on the morning of the fights, he holds a private mass which is attended by him, his family and their close friends. His mother was a deeply religious woman as well and she was religious to an extent where she wanted Manny to be a priest. The boxing fans are lucky that it did not happen.

#3 He had a very poor background

Before Manny became the rich boxer he is today, he had to undergo a lot of struggles in his life. Born into a poor family, Manny spent his childhood sleeping on cardboard boxes as their family didn’t have a proper bed. Manny’s father did a job in the farm to make ends meet while his mother did every odd job possible to keep food on the table.

Manny eventually fell out with his father, who had drinking problems. This forced Manny to run away to Manila and he started a new life by picking up jobs as a construction worker and a gardener before finding his love in boxing.

#2 His dog diaries

Manny has a pet dog named PacMan, which runs along with Manny whenever he goes for his morning routine. Belonging to the Jack Russel Terrier breed, PacMan is actually Manny’s sweet revenge against his father. Why? Good question.

At the age of 12, Manny ran away from home and came back with a stray dog. He loved the dog and wanted to keep it in the house. Manny’s father, however, was angry at what Manny did and decided to teach him a lesson by killing and eating the dog. This was one of the reasons that led to the eventual fallout between Manny and his father.

As far as PacMan is concerned, people say that the dog would love to die by Manny’s side while running.

#1 He is a Lt. Colonel in the Reserve Force of the Philippines Army

We know Manny Pacquiao the boxer, but do you know Lt. Colonel Manny Pacquiao? He first joined the Army reserve back in April 27, 2006 as a sergeant and eight months later, he improved his rank to Technical Sergeant.

Manny then managed to become the Master Sergeant, which is the highest rank in the group he was in. The Army later honoured him with the special rank of Senior Master Sergeant before finally being commissioned for the Lieutenant Colonel role. Apart from this, he also enjoyed designation as the Command Sergeant Major of the 15th Ready Reserve Division in the Philippines Army.