Pacquiao glows in Hall of Fame induction
Photograph courtesy of Manny Pacquiao/FB Manny Pacquiao beams with pride during the IBHOF induction over the weekend in Canastota, New York. Joining him are fellow Hall of Famers in (from left) producer Brad Jacobs, promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach.
Manny Pacquiao was formally accepted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) on Sunday and the Philippines’ greatest athlete of all time did not only tell the assemblage the secret behind his meteoric rise.
Boxing’s only eight-division champion also gave everyone in attendance in Canastota in New York a hint of what’s on the horizon.
“I never picked the easy fights. I choose the hard ones. I moved up weight after weight not to protect a record but to test my limits,” Pacquiao said in his well-received speech following his induction as the fourth Filipino to enter boxing’s super elite circle.
Pacquiao, 46, took a break from training for a shot at the World Boxing Council welterweight crown of Mario Barrios on 19 July at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
And he took the golden opportunity to share his knowledge of the sport and stress the rationale behind his success.
“Some people ask: Who is the greatest of all time? That’s not for me to decide. It belongs to the fans. It belongs to history.”
Pacquiao won world titles at flyweight up to junior-middleweight in an exemplary career that is on the brink of getting resurrected, citing that his origins did not deter him from becoming boxing’s true superstar.
“I dedicate this moment to every underdog. Every dreamer. Every person who fights even if the odds are against them.”
Pacquiao was joined in the affair by wife Jinkee and American dealmaker Sean Gibbons, who is running his affairs.
As he turned back the pages of his illustrious career, Pacquiao paid homage to personages who played pivotal roles in making him what he is today.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum was in the house and Pacquiao profusely thank his former promoter for staging many of his “biggest fights,” and Al Haymon (of Premier Boxing Champions) for his key contributions in the “latter part” of his career.
Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Justin Fortune and childhood pal Buboy Fernandez likewise were cited by Pacquiao, who, at one time during his speech, was on the verge of tears.
As he prepares to set another record next month, Pacquiao closed out his speech with an intriguing remark in the end.
“This is our victory. This is our story. And the best is yet to come.”
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