A towering figure in the high stakes world of international championship boxing, Emmanuel “Manny” Dapidran Pacquiao is the consummate superstar. Pound-for-pound the greatest prize fighter on earth, Pacquiao, 33, is also a father and husband, millionaire, and congressman in his native Philippines. As author Laurence Osborne writes in this week’s Newsweek, to call Manny Pacquiao just a “boxer” is like calling Mahatma Gandhi simply a “Hindu lawyer.” Pacquiao’s mega-fights with the sport’s greats, including a dominating performance against the sport’s Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya, made the Pacman a phenomenon. His lucrative Las Vegas fight purses, endorsements and profitable business ventures made him a millionaire. His prolific philanthropy at home, however, has made him a hero, with a Filipino following that could accurately be described as nearing cult status. Born into poverty, and with few boxers left to conquer, Pacquiao seems to be searching for his next big challenge. Publicly coy, the charismatic politician’s name is nevertheless being floated privately as a future presidential candidate--leading many to wonder if there’s anything Manny can’t do.
—Meredith A. Bennett-Smith
