Last Saturday at the MGM GRAND in Las Vegas, Welterwieight Champion MANNY PACQUIAO demolished challenger "SUGAR" SHANE MOSELY. No one was surprised. After all, the "Pac-Man" has amassed an astounding record over the last fifteen years. He's won 53 bouts (38 by knockout) and has lost only three times (with none since 2005). Sure...you say...this sort of thing happens all the time in Vegas...what's so surprising about a successful boxer? Even having PARIS HILTON appear at the post-fight press conference isn't very surprising. Well, what did surprise people is what Manny did after the two-hour, twelve-round fight. He showered, changed into a fancy suit, and proceeded to perform a concert at the MANDALAY BAY ballroom. His encore was "La Bamba." The crowd went wild!
Okay, so Manny is a boxer who sings. George Foreman is a boxer who sells grills. The point is, lots of athletes have a 'side-gig.' But Manny is different. He has he sold over a million albums in both English and Tagalog. His top hit, PAC-MAN PUNCH (Knockout Re-mix) was #1 for four weeks. But that's not all this boxer can do. No way! Manny is also an actor having starred in numerous movies and TV shows. His sit-com SHOW ME DA MANNY is a top rated show on the Filipino ABS-CBN network. His last superhero/comedy film, SON OF A COMMANDER was also a hit. Unfortunately, the critics weren't very impressed, panning both at the last METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL. But...as every A-list actor knows...it's not the critics that count, it's the box-office receipts that matter. Manny is now in talks with reps from SYLVESTER STALLONE. They're planning on doing a 'cop-buddy' movie together. Cha-ching!
Okay, so Manny is a boxer who sings and acts. KRISTI YAMAGUCHI is a figure skater who sings and acts. But MANNY PACQUIAO is different. We forgot to mention: Manny is also a politician! Specifically, he represents the Sarangari Province in the Filipino House of Representatives. Last year, he pummeled the incumbent, Roy Chiongbian, winning 67% of the popular vote. As one of the youngest members of Congress, his political future is looking bright. So is his bank account. FORBES MAGAZINE listed Pacquaio as the SIXTH highest paid athlete in the world, grossing $40 million last year. (That's TWO BILLION Filipino Pesos!) Our favorite boxer is insanely popular back home which has resulted in many lucrative endorsement deals. He pitches everything from dish washing detergent to cell phones to SAN MIGUEL BEER. Double Cha-ching!
However, despite these many successes, Manny still wants to be known as a boxer first. As the saying goes, Pound-for-Pound he may just be the best boxer in the history of the sport. He is the only boxer in the history of the sport to win titles in eight different weight divisions. This means he either gains or loses weight to be eligible to compete in different divisions. For example, his lightest weight was 112 pounds, when he won the Flyweight division. He then gained 42 pounds to claim the Super Welterweight title a year later. It's true, right now, no one in any division wants to get in the ring with the Fighting Pride of the Philippines. Don't believe me? Just ask "SUGAR" SHANE MOSELY. (Who was too beat up Saturday night to headline a concert anywhere!) After the fight, he said; "To knock out Manny Pacquiao, you'd need a stick or a hammer!"
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