Canastota, a small village 140 miles from New York City, is rolling out the red carpet for the only boxer to achieve a feat no other fighter has ever done.
During the festivities from 5 to 8 June, the International Boxing Hall of Fame will welcome the Class of 2025, a group of inductees that will be led by eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao.
His enshrinement next year was formally announced on Friday and this will mark only the fourth time that a Filipino will be inducted after Gabriel “Flash” Elorde in 1993 and Pancho Villa in 1994 and promoter Lope “Papa” Sarreal in 2005.
“I am so happy that I have been selected to enter the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This certainly is a wonderful Christmas gift. Throughout my career, as a professional fighter and a public servant, it has been my goal to bring honor to my country, the Philippines, and my fellow Filipinos around the world,” Pacquiao said in a released statement.
“Today, I am humbled knowing that in June, I will receive boxing’s highest honor, joining our national hero, Flash Elorde, as well as my trainer and friend Freddie Roach. I am very grateful to those who voted for me, and I look forward to celebrating with my friends, and fans at Induction Weekend in Canastota, New York.”
In a legendary career that spanned four decades, Pacquiao won world titles at flyweight, super-bantam, feather, super-feather, lightweight, super-lightweight, welter and super-welter, beating the likes of Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Tim Bradley, Antonio Margarito and Keith Thurman.
The last time Pacquiao fought as a pro was in August 2021 and he wound up with a 62-8-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts in a career that kicked off in January 1995.
First to congratulate Pacquiao was Roach, who was enshrined in 2012.
“I opened my gym, Wild Card Boxing Club, in hopes that the next Muhammad Ali would walk through the door. Little did I know that in 2001, my Muhammad Ali weigh 122 pounds, his name was Manny Pacquiao, and he was and still is the pride of the Philippines. For 20 years, after Manny and I first did mitts in the ring at Wild Card, we trained together for some of the biggest fights,” Roach said.
“As his collection of world championship belts grew, so did his presence in boxing and the world. Today’s announcement that Manny will be a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 makes me incredibly proud. As much as I loved working together with Manny all those years, I’m even happier sharing the same wall with him at the International Boxing Hall of Fame.”
Pacquiao fought a total of 30 times in the United States from June 2001 until August 2021, winning 23 times, losing five and drawing twice. He also logged 13 knockouts when he used America as battleground.
During this incredible run from 2001, Pacquiao also fought four times in the Philippines, twice in Macau and once each in Malaysia and Australia, each one turning the streets in Manila and elsewhere in the country deserted, a scene no other Filipino athlete has ever come close to doing.
Members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and historians of the sport do the screening and voting of candidates and Pacquiao’s selection was obvious given the Filipino’s accomplishments.