Manny Pacquiao’s Comeback: From $1 Fights to Challenging Floyd Mayweather… The Whole Story

0:06Welcome back to another episode of the Art Award. Today my guest is an eight division world champion. He's a newly crowned Hall of Famer. He's a living legend. He's an icon. He's a national hero. This man is fighting for the WBC Welterweight Championship July 19th after a four-year hiatus. I want to welcome to the show Manny Pac-Man Pacquiao. Hello, Andre. How are you? It's an honor and a privilege to be here with you, man. Thank you for opening up the gym. This is my first time at Wild Card Gym. Really? Never seen it. I mean, I've only seen it, never been here. And you guys are downstairs now, so you probably will hear speed bags, you'll hear the heavy bags being hit.

0:52That's okay. That just means we're in the element. It's fight time. Man, are you 46? You fought 72 bouts. And you fought 498 professional rounds. How are you still going? I still like it, love it. Like, when I rest for four years, like, I really miss boxing. Like, I miss those memories. It's like, you know, when we do training, hard training, training camp like this and discipline like that and fight, promote the fight like that, interview the media. Does it feel good to get the team back together? Oh, I feel good and happy together. So I was talking to your team when you were training. I said, did you believe Manny when he called you and said that he was coming back?

1:42Everybody said no. They said, I didn't believe it. And then when we got here, back to wild card, then we knew that it was real. What made you pick up the phone and start to make this fight with Mario Barrios after four years? I mean, because obviously you have a lot going on. You know, I realized that when I turned back from boxing, like when I hung up my gloves, like I'm so lonely because, you know, I miss the sports I love since when I was young. and after but it's good good for me because when I rest four years like my my body still okay and then and then I keep on even though I hung up my glass but I always work out playing basketball you do still yeah work out playing basketball gym and badminton like that because my house is that I have my own That's good.

2:39So I can work out, basketball, badminton, like that. What did Freddie Roach say when you called him and said, Freddie, we're going to fight again? What did he say to you? Remember? Yeah, he's happy. He's just observing me. And then, so my speed, my movement, like that's still there. The fire in my eyes to work out, to discipline, like that. And I'm still enjoying training. Like, nothing's changed about, you know, I don't get lazy in terms of sacrifices, training every morning, every day like that. But I'm enjoying it like I said before. It's amazing watching you today, just the hunger, the speed, and just going through your workout because, Manny, I was done at 33.

3:27I said goodbye to the game. You're 46. Yeah. You know, that's the evidence of you being passionate with the sport. Like, it's like part of your life, a boxer, like, to fight. And I grew in boxing. As long as I'm still enjoying the training, I'm happy continuing my career. How did you and the team come up with the fight with Mario Barrios? How did you pick him? How did he become your next opponent? When I asked my wife, she said, yeah, you can fight him. Jinky? Yeah, my wife. She said, okay. She said, okay, yeah, yeah, okay. Are you sure? Yeah. Okay, I'll call them. I called the commission. So the real boss gave you the green light, Jinky, she said, it's good, it's okay.

4:23Yeah, my family is. You think she misses the game? I think so, but because he saw me, like, when I do training, my speed, my passion is still there. She knows that when I work out. What do you think, like, the biggest change is right now, 46 versus when you were younger? Oh, the biggest changes that we have in training camp is, like, you know, we listen to the body. like you know sometimes our mind is like push push push go go go go go but the time there is a time that the body oh I need rest I need recovery so the recovery that's the question so I have to feel my body to give recovery to give time to recover if I can push more then I will push but if my body is saying oh no you have to give me time to recover and I give time to recover.

5:23I want to take it back a little bit, you know, because your story is, like, very inspiring for a lot of people because there's poverty all over the world, but you didn't grow up in normal, average poverty. You grew up in extreme poverty. It's a, you know, web-documented. You grew up in a shack. I think you had, you were one of six? Six siblings? Yeah, one of six. You said something, though. You said every fight, every victory was a step further away from poverty. Yes. How much did that motivate you throughout your career, knowing where you came from? Oh, all my fights, all my trainings motivated me.

5:56It gave me motivation to overcome and win the fight because where we come from, that's my inspiration. Yeah. And good thing for me because when I became a champion, when I became known as a boxer, I earn, of course, financial aspect, like, you know, I can help. I help my family, my own family, my brother, my sister, everything like that. And I help other people also. I share my blessings that I have, that the Lord gave it to me. What have you learned over the years, like, with the balance of giving? Because, you know, I've seen you pass out money and you're always serving other people. but giving people money and giving people cars and maybe houses, like, where's the balance between giving and then saying, okay, I can't give that much?

6:54I always believe that when you give, you will receive. I mean, I'm happy doing that, helping other people, because I've been there. The situation, the feeling of being nothing. Yes. Sometimes you eat, sometimes none. like I just drink water to survive oh it's really hard I can see and I can feel those least fortunate families that around in the streets that's what I'm doing like giving shelter make a subdivision houses and giving them free and then also giving them money to start a business small business like you know to earn money for daily needs. You think most people appreciate when you give them things or it doesn't matter, you just do your part?

7:45I'm doing that not to please people. I'm not trying to please people, but I'm trying to please God. That's right. Because at the end of the day, you are just passing by. We came to this world naked and we will depart naked alone. So we must remember that because even you're the richest man in the world or you're a most popular person in the world, but when you die, you take nothing. You can't take nothing. You can't take nothing. But the only thing that we can live in this world is the legacy that you made. For example, I'm just giving an example. Okay, 50 years, 100 years from now, Manipaka is not existing in this world anymore.

8:27100 years from now, that's pretty sure. Okay? But those legacies, the subdivision, the housing that I'm giving to the least fortunate families, to the people, they will not forget me. They will still remember the Mani Pacquiao. And that's the inspiration to the next generation. And at the end of the day, I want to hear from the Lord to say to me, will that good and faithful servant come enter to my paradise? That's right. You know? That's right. Because that's what I want to hear from the Lord. That's right. Man, that's powerful, man. I think that's a huge reason why you have been so blessed, you know, because you are a giver.

9:10And when you do that, to your point, God always makes sure you have what you need. Yeah. If you take care of his business, he'll take care of yours. Yes, that's right. I remember the story about you being 12 years old, you know, and doing the street fighting in General Santos City for low money, just a few pesos. Like, what do you remember from that time? that you know I I always remember that time like when I was I was almost 12 years old that time and there is a boxing match every Sunday in the streets no um yeah in the park in the park in the park which is a program of the government so on Sunday boxing like Sunday boxing so when I heard that there is a prize money.

9:57So there's a prize money. The prize money, you know how much the prize money? Like when you lost,$1. And when you win, like$2 or so. So that's the prize money. So like 12 years old, participating in the event, like, okay, okay, what are we going to do? What are we going to do? Like they put the gloves. I was like, I don't know what is boxing at all. Like, I don't have an idea. I just, they said, no kicking, but just throwing punches like that. Oh, just throwing punches like that? I don't have an idea about boxing. I just want to earn money. So that when I go home, back to my mom, I have money to buy food.

10:41So I participate and I won. I got$2. So, but... He's got$2. You know, but that's 100 pesos in the Philippines before. So that's big because one per kilo of rice, you can buy 620 pesos per kilo. And that's 100 pesos, so you can buy more kilos of rice, right? So it's good, good. I mean, I'm just enjoying that. But I don't have an idea what is boxing. Just participate there like that every Sunday. And I'm still winning, I'm still winning like that. And my uncle knows about boxing. They teach me what is boxing like that. And I have a lot of BHS, before BHS tape, right? Tape when you watch the boxing match.

11:36BHS. So I have a lot of BHS tape with my uncle, the fight with Larry Holm, George Portman, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and what else, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Leonard, Julio Cesar Chavez. And I watched De La Hoya's fight career from Olympics to professional, doing like that. And I I watched like Obacar, Paez, Ricardo Lopez. Yeah, all the greats. Yeah, yeah. Michael Carvajal. I saw that all many fights of them. But when you came to the U.S., you came as a stowaway? Like you were... How did you get to the United States? Oh, that was way back 2001. Like, we came here for a vacation. Really? Not for a fight.

12:37Really? Yes, that was May, like third week of May. That was third week of May we came here, United States, just for a vacation. First time? First time with my manager. And we arrived in San Francisco. And when we arrived at San Francisco, we looked for a gym and there's no, we don't see a gym there, a boxing gym. We ride a Greyhound bus from San Francisco to LA. And then Greyhound bus is near here, like in Hollywood. So we asked for a boxing gym and somebody brought us here in wildcard. At that time, my managers are so proud of me. because I was already a former champion, world champion before, when we came here.

13:41I remember my manager talked to Freddie, Freddie, can you do a match with my boxer? Can you do a couple rounds with my boxer? And Freddie, yeah, sure, sure, can do. And then, wow, what was it? And Freddie, like, like me. And then I like Predoros because of the way we do it. Pants me like, okay, okay. We do pants me, okay, tomorrow we'll do it again. And he loves my style. And I'm so fast, like... And then it happened that there's a fight with Oscar De La Hoya and Castillejo, that was June 23, 2001. And the undercard is Lilo Hanolo Ledwaba, my weight division, 123, 122. And he's fighting with the number one mandatory, which is, I don't know where we come from, guy.

14:40We come, what country is that? But he got endured two weeks before the fight. Oh. And they're looking for... Replacement, yeah. Replacement for the challenger, because they call the number two contender from Thailand, but he's not prepared, he cannot make it the weight. So, and I think I'm number three or number five that time at IBF. It's time that I'm here. And they asked me, are you going to fight two weeks from now? Just two weeks notice? Are you ready for that? Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I will fight. Two weeks notice. I will fight. And then that's the time. I have a break. Man, it's a powerful story.

15:23Freddie had no idea who was coming in his gym. No idea. Or the story that you guys are going to have after you got here is just unbelievable, man. Man, you won a couple championships, and then your first big fight was in November 2003 against Marco Antonio Barrera. Oh, yeah, yeah. You went down in the first round. I think he went down in the third round. And you beat the great Marco Antonio Barrera. The whole round. How did your life change after that fight? Every time they ask me about what is your most pivoted fight in your career, I told them that Marco Antonio Barrera won. Because that's the open door for me here in the United States.

16:06Yes. Yes. Yes, right? Yes. Open doors. You get this surprise. Like, where did this come from? This guy, like, you know? That's when I first heard about you. I was a young amateur boxer. And I started hearing about this guy, Pacquiao, Pacquiao. But I remember I watched you fight Marquez. You knocked him down three times in the first round. I remember I was asleep. I was on my bed. I was watching it. And then when you knocked him down, I fell asleep. I was like, oh, it's over. And then I woke up toward the end and the fight was still going on. I was confused. I was like, what happened? I was confused.

16:38Supposedly, I won that fight. The judges missed the scorecard. Supposedly, he has to score 10-6. He scored like 10-7. Because three knockdowns, you must score 10-6. if there is no three knockdown roll. That's the role of boxing. If there is no three knockdown rolls, you must score ten six if three knockdowns. So that's a miss. And second is that time I got, in the first round, I got blister, my big blister, my foot. So that's why it's hard, hardly to move. Yeah. Man, you went from that fight, man, and you went on a crazy run. You fought Morales multiple times. You fought Barrera again. You fought Marquez again.

17:23But then the Oscar De La Hoya fight in 2008, that was the next level. When you did what you did to Oscar, first of all, did you know it was going to be that easy? And second of all, like, what was your life like after that fight? You know, that's a good thing. Good question because, you know, You know that I'm moving up in different ways from 122, 126 to Marco Antony Barrera, 130, and then 135 to... 40? 35, 40? 47. 135 and then jump to 147. But before that, Bob Arum asked me, because I just finished my fight with David Diaz, 135, right? I remember that. And he asked me, because somebody's putting my picture into De La Hoya's fight.

18:18De La Hoya. Then there's a rumor like, oh, maybe this guy, this guy, like, can be, can be, can, can be a good fight. And Bob Aram. He could, um, are you, are you willing, are you interested to fight Oscar De La Hoya? and then I told Bob, Bob, let me think about it. Just give me a couple days and I will, I will, I'll show you. Okay, then I watched his, they love his fight and I watched his fight, I watched his style, like, you know, and then I studied. I just, I did, I just studied my style and his style, I studied. Then what are you going to do to beat him? like exactly and after three days three or four days I called Bob okay I can fight him really yes I can fight him because I knew I know what I'm gonna do so during that time when when the fight zone four weeks before the fight like No, four months.

19:37Like, during that time, like, I... From the beginning of our training day, all my movements, punches, everything like that, I studied every day. I don't throw punches that not usable to my opponent. Right. All punches that can be... Can land against him. Land against him, like, I use it. And then the footwork like that, I started perfection like that. When he jumped, bang! And then when he jumped, like a lot of... kind of moving around like... Manny, that took you to another level though. After you beat him, Oscar being as big as he was, and then the way you did it. Yeah, yeah. I was under... under...

20:26underweight in that fight. How much? I just went 143. And I was 142, 143, 142, yeah. What was the fight contracted at? 147. 147, right, yeah. Were you shocked at how, I mean, no fight is easy, but at home looking at it, it was easier than we thought it was going to be. Were you shocked about that after it was over? No, the result of the fight, we really expected that. Okay. Because we find a guy like De La Hoya style, like our sparring. Inspiring. I started, like, we finally, and then for four months, like, I started, like, perfectly, accurately, I delivered. That's why I'm very confident to win the fight.

21:12But after this fight, Manny, like, how are you dealing with being Manny Pacquiao? You're a global star. You are a national hero. That's the time that I became number one pound for pound in the world. How are you dealing with it as a personally, like, being that big? How are you dealing with that at that time? I never, like, the fans, the world, all commerce, everything like that. I mean, recognition everywhere like that, even in the Philippines, because most of the people in the Philippines don't believe that I'm going to win the fight, because even in our Congress, some congressman filed a resolution to stop the fight, because it might get hurt me.

21:56Really? Like, yeah. They were afraid for you. They said to stop the fight, to stop the fight because they might get hurt. They had no idea. Yeah, yeah, just like that, just like that. So after the fight, like, boom, like that. And then that time, like, you know, oh, this is... But I still, you know, thinking to God for everything, like all that accomplishment is from God. But, man, your life wasn't the same, man. It wasn't the same. Like, you can't go anywhere, whether you're in the Philippines or in America now. You got people lined up outside the gym. You can't even train in peace. So how did you deal with that?

22:44Like, did you, I mean, you had to notice it, but, like, how did it affect your family, affect you? There is a saying that you understand how to balance it. Like, with great power comes great responsibility. So you became a popular person, you became famous, so that's your responsibility. The fans supported you, the people supported you, so it's your obligation to give them time, to say hi, hello to them, and that's our responsibility. And I don't want to be boastful, I want to stay humble because Manipakyo has nothing to do with I have no right to become boastful or arrogant because I came from nothing

23:36I'm part of those people sleeping in the state I love them I love them all I hope that one day they will experience a life like what I experienced I'm going to get away from the boxing for just a second man, you love basketball. You play basketball, you watch basketball. Where did your love for basketball come from? Before boxing, basketball is basketball. I play in our place because our house, the small house, like very small house, and when you just 20 meters is basketball court. Just 20 meters basketball court. beside the basketball court. So, like shooting the ball, like everything like basketball, we play basketball.

24:29What kind of game do you have? What kind of basketball game do you have? Five on five, like, you know. No, no, I mean, you're a shooter, you like to drive. Do you foul a lot? I'm a shooter. Do you foul? Huh? Do you foul people? The hack, do you foul? Sometimes. Do you call it a foul? Because some guys foul, they say, no, no, no, it's not a foul. I foul a lot. I get a little physical. Yeah? A little bit. Me and Terrence Crawford, we played. And he's worse than me, though. He's worse. He fouls a lot. Really? He be cheating. He don't want to admit it. He don't want to even cheat. He even cheats a lot.

25:05But that's another story for that. But do you foul people when you play basketball? Sometimes? Sometimes. Sometimes. If needed. If needed. Yeah, yeah. Because I play professional in the playoffs. I know. I know. But you say you're a shooter? Yeah, I do. Come on, now. Come on. I like it. Three-pointer. I like it. What about your karaoke, man? Tell me about the karaoke. You love the karaoke. I used to sing. I used to sing before. Yeah, yeah, I used to sing before. My first album in the Philippines is Platinum. You still like to sing? No, before. No. Now I love to sing, but praises and worship. Yeah, yeah.

25:44Tell me about your wife, Jinky, man. You've been with her your whole career. What has she meant to you, and how have you guys I stayed together through all of the craziness that you've experienced. We've been married with Jinky more than 25 years. So turning 26 years, both 19 years old when we get married, yeah. It's like we came from, you know, before I, you know, that time I just became a champion. I was, because before I turned to 19, I became a champion, a world champion. So I was 18 years old. How rare is that though, for somebody to stay with a fighter that long? And then even after the career?

26:29Because sometimes fighters retire, or basketball players retire, and then they don't, they're no longer married. They get a divorce. You guys have stayed strong. What's the secret? Because I know how to value the family. I preach also, I share the gospel. Yeah, I preach and my passion is marriage counseling. Really? Really? Yes. Okay. Marriage counseling. Okay. That's my conviction. That's my passion. Yeah. I don't want a family separated. Like, you know, I'm sad if there's a family separated. It's tough on the kids. It's tough on everybody. No, it's just the design of God. Like, you know, the devil is trying to destroy all the family.

27:14Man, there's a video that's out of your wife. I think it was after the Ugas fight, where she's feeding you. Yeah. And it looks like your eyes are closed after the fight. And some people were concerned about that, you know, but is that normal for your wife to do, is just to help you after battle? Like that? Like after the Ugas fight? I think she was feeding you porridge or something. Yeah, yeah, she was feeding me because... But people were, like, really concerned about that. Is that normal for her to do after a big fight? Oh, my wife is... She's very taking care of me. Yeah. Yeah. She's the most outstanding wife in the world for me.

27:55That's right. Yes. I love it. I tell people all the time that after some of my big fights, you know, barely getting out of bed the next day, two days after, like, she's the only one there. And my kids. Yeah. There's no cameras. There's no... It's just her. Hey, do you need something? Only the wife and the family can help you. Yes. Yes. I want to get back to the fighting for a little bit. I got a few more. I'm going to let you go. And I only bring this up because I want to see if you can speak to the young fighters who have dealt with this. You know, in 2012, you had the Marquez knockout, right?

28:31And again, you're a global superstar having to deal with something like that. Like, how did you recover from that personally as a fighter? because some people never come back from that. But you got up, you said, I made the mistake, I was careless, and you continued on with your career. How did you do that? You know, when you are in boxing, you know, in your career as a boxer, expect that, you know, not all the time you win. Like, I mean, there's a time that you lost. So you must accept it and learn from it. What I did is like, okay, I lost it, but I want to learn what my mistake, what I did wrong.

29:16During training, preparation, in the fight, everything like that, how I studied my style, the style of my opponent. That's how I became eight different weight division champion. It's because I'm still, you know, I mix boxing into science. There's a... I have a principle like the secret arts of boxing. That's why I mix it. Did you ever doubt yourself when you first came back after that knockout to say, man, do I still have it? Can I still take a punch? No, no, I never doubt myself. Because it's my condition, my mind, it's still there. Nothing's changed. Nothing's changed. It just happened that way, you know.

30:03You cannot avoid the circumstances, you know. Man, in 2015, you said that God spoke to you. You had an experience. I don't know if it was a dream. You said that God spoke to you, and it, like, changed everything. I started hearing you talk more about Jesus. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, you always talked about God, but something changed. What happened in 2015? I told them that, you know, I'm going to be lying if I don't tell you this. I did, you know, billions of population in the world, but I'm one that's blessed by God because I hear the voice of God. That's a reality. I hear the voice of God, and He showed me about hell, about heaven, paradise is beautiful.

30:50So there is no reason for me to turning back from God. I mean, doing what I did right now in my life, Like, dedicating to Him all my, you know, my strength, my knowledge, everything like that, to glorify Him. That's my doing. Like, you know, I want to please God, not the people. Like, doing something, be compassionate, be merciful, you know, do not put grievances against someone, do not pay hatred, everything like that. I've seen a change in you after that. Yeah, yeah. Like, how I wish that all people will experience what I had experienced. Like, you know, if you experience like that, what I had experienced, like, believe me, like, oh, there's no way that you cannot obey.

31:48You cannot, you know. What gives you the boldness? And I say the boldness to speak about Jesus. Some people don't want to hear about it. Some people are shut up. Nobody wants to hear that. You have the stature you have, you have the popularity you have, and you use that platform to share his name, to preach. What gives you that boldness to do that? Because that's his promise, that he will come back. And he will appear a second time to take those who are waiting for him. Like, that's his promise. he will appear a second time not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him so that's my one day because we have to understand that we are just passing by we are not forever in this world so make sure that after the life our lives here in this world, that's the beginning of eternity either eternal suffering or eternal happiness because God showed me that the hell, what is hell?