Sen. Manny Pacquiao (Photo from his Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥撀燭hree weeks before expecting to retake his seat in the Senate, Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao will take his place on a bigger and more revered stage 鈥� the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Selected in his first year of eligibility, Pacquiao will be enshrined in the Boxing Hall of Fame in early June, capping a colorful career that saw him become the only boxer in history to win eight division championships.
The 1Pacman Party List, which joins him in the significant nationwide advocacy for sports development, notes that Pacquiao enters this hyper-elite group that includes other Filipino boxing greats, Gabriel 鈥淔lash鈥� Elorde, Ceferino Garcia, and Pancho Villa.
Pacquiao said he was humbled by his selection to receive boxing鈥檚 highest honor.
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鈥淭hroughout my career as a professional fighter and public servant, it has been my goal to bring honor to my country, the Philippines, and my fellow Filipinos around the world,鈥� Pacquiao said in a statement following the announcement of his selection last December.
While he has retired from competitive boxing, Pacquiao is training for another 鈥渇ight鈥濃�攖o resume his public service as he seeks election to the Senate in the May elections. Recent surveys have placed Pacquiao among the frontrunners in the Senate race, and he will campaign with the 1-Pacman party list in his corner.
1-Pacman party list is fielding as its first nominee sportswoman and entrepreneur Milka Romero, who is pushing for sports development and poverty alleviation, advocacies espoused by his father, three-term party-list representative Mikee Romero.
The elder Romero, chairman of the House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, will serve out his third term after notching a prolific record of 144 bills passed in nine years in the House of Representatives.
1-Pacman is also fielding Bobby Pacquiao, the boxing champion鈥檚 brother, and Shey Mohammad as the second and third nominees.
Pacquiao, 46, will join his long-time trainer, Freddie Roach, in the Hall of Fame. With a fight record of 62 wins, eight losses, and two draws with 39 knockouts, Pacquiao has beaten eight other Hall of Famers 鈥� Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, 聽Ricky Hatton, Oscar de la Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Timothy Bradley. In 2015, he lost a decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the richest fight in history.
Pacquiao will take his place alongside an even more illustrious list during the Induction Weekend in Canastota, New York, on June 5-8. 聽By that time, Pacquiao expects, he will have been proclaimed winner in the May 11 mid-term elections..