BOXING great Manny Pacquiao looked back with fondness as he celebrates his 25th year as a professional boxer.
The 41-year-old ring legend admitted that ‘boxing changed his life forever,’ stressing how the brutal sport of the sweet science lifted his family from poverty.
“I never imagined life would bring me to where I am now. I never dreamed of all the accomplishments my future would hold,” said the eight-division world champion and Filipino senator in a touching post on his Instagram account on Wednesday.
“(Boxing) brought me to places I never dreamed I would be, and provided me the opportunities to help others along the way.”
Pacquiao made his pro debut on Jan. 22, 1995 at the age of 16 when he fought in a four-rounder against Edmund Enting Ignacio in Sablayan, Mindoro Occidental, winning by unanimous decision.
Standing only at 4-11 at the time, the skinny fighter admitted later on putting weights on his pocket just to make the 105-pound weight limit.
And his first ever career purse? Pacquiao said he was paid a meager $20 (about P1,000).
But on that night, a legend indeed was born.
Fast forward to the present, Pacquiao is considered one of the best boxers of his era and of all time and a lock-down vote as a future Hall of Famer.

He was also named by Forbes as one of the richest athletes in the last decade with total earnings of $435 million to place no. 8 in the Top 10 list.
His estimated career earning is pegged close to $500 million and who’s involved in the richest fight in boxing history when he fought Floyd Mayweather in a welterweight unification title bout in 2015. The Filipino earned around $150 million for that fight alone which he lost by unanimous decision.
He continues to remain active in the ring despite his advanced age and a teeming career in politics.
Pacquiao is the current World Boxing Association (WBA) 147-pound champion, who edged previously undefeated fighter Keith Thurman in his last outing following a split decision. His reported take home for the Thurman fight was estimated around $20 million.
He said whatever success he earned was mainly because of the support of his family, his trainers and coaches, countrymen, and most of all, the boxing fans around the world.
“Manny ‘Pac-Man” Pacquiao has made it this far because of you, so I dedicate this day to all of you that have been there for me these past 25 years. Thank you all so much and may God bless,” he said.
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