Sports fans mostly associate Manny Pacquiao’s name with big victories in boxing: during his 26-year career he became world champion in eight different weight classes, repeating the unique achievement of Oscar De La Hoya.
Asia’s best boxer has finished his sporting career, but still remains an important figure in the world of big sports. In 2017, Pacquiao created the MPBL, the league that has given a major boost to the development of basketball in the Philippines, and provided talented young people with a unique opportunity to prove themselves at the highest level.
How Manny Pacquiao’s dream took him to the top of boxing
A kid from a poor Filipino family with barely enough money to buy food. It isn’t the prologue of another “success story” Hollywood film, but the starting point of Manny Pacquiao’s career. As a teenager, he didn’t wander the streets of Bukidnon province with his friends in search of adventure, but sold bread and water to help his family out of poverty.
His mother wanted little Manny to become a priest and devote his life to serving God, but the boy’s hot temper, as if by an invisible hand, pushed him to the ring. The search for a true vocation often led young Pacquiao to engage in street fights, only increasing his desire to box professionally.
By day, Manny fought poverty by working at the local market, and in the evenings he fought like a lion in the boxing ring. Everyone who saw the young Pacquiao in action noted his genuine passion for fighting and strong character, despite his young age.
Soon our hero started to receive fees for boxing fights. He didn’t earn much – about US$2 per fight, but it was enough to buy 25 kilograms of rice, so Manny’s mother let him quit working at the market and devote all his free time to the biggest passion of his life – boxing.
Pacquiao’s fast progress brought the first results, and the boy moved to Manila to train in a more prestigious sports club. At that time, boxing TV shows were very popular in the Philippines, and the directors offered Manny to take part in such a project.
He quickly became a crowd favourite, winning the hearts of audiences with his dedication and dynamic fighting style. Pacquiao excelled in the TV show, which helped him to start a career in amateur boxing. The talented fighter won several regional tournaments and was included in the Philippines national team.
Manny became the guy from the famous Muhammad Ali quote: he really floated in the ring like a butterfly and stung his opponents like a bee. His hands bombarded his opponents with punches, and his eyes never let the target out of sight. Pacquiao eventually moved on to the professional level, finishing his amateur career with a 56-4 record.
In 1995, a whole new chapter in Manny’s life began, as he entered the ring as a professional fighter for the first time. In his debut year, he won 11 fights and moved up two weight classes. Pacquiao kept working hard in training, in want of his first title fight. His efforts paid off, as Manny won the WBC championship belt and gained the status of one of the most promising boxers in his weight class.
In just a couple of years, title fights became routine for Manny, and he successfully defended his numerous belts dozens of times. This path led an ordinary boy from Bukidnon province to the top of the boxing world, where the undefeated Floyd Mayweather was waiting for him.
May 2, 2015, was one of the biggest nights in the history of modern boxing: the Pacquiao vs Mayweather megafight, which fully met the expectations of fans. For 12 rounds, the fighters exchanged lightning-fast combinations, displaying a crazy pace. However, the American, like an experienced marksman, threw only accurate punches. Mayweather won by unanimous decision, saying after the fight that “Pacquiao is a hell of a fighter”.
Manny may not have won that fight, but he won his war. A boy from a poor family entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame and got out of poverty forever. But this was only the beginning of his exciting journey!
I remember as a child eating only once a day and sometimes sleeping in the street. I will never forget that – that’s what inspires me to fight as hard as I can
Reflecting on the main mission of his life, Manny never talked about boxing, but emphasised the problem of poverty. This path led Pacquiao into politics. He wanted to help his countrymen by improving their lives. There were many ups and downs in the former boxer’s political career, but Manny always remembered his main goal and kept pursuing it.
He has won election to the Senate and the House of Representatives, and has also run for president.
“I can give up politics, but I can’t give up the opportunity to serve you. Thank you, compatriots,” was how Pacquiao commented on his defeat in the presidential election. He always respected the Filipinos’ opinion, and even though he didn’t win, he continued to help his country.
Manny Pacquiao is the creator of the MPBL and a new era in the history of Philippine basketball
As a politician, Pacquiao worked on the Senate Committee on Sports and knew all the problems of the system. So, in 2017, Manny announced the creation of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), an amateur basketball league aimed at developing young talented players and popularising the game in the Philippines.
Big boxing isn’t just about training in a gym and working on punches, but also about big business. Given Manny’s background and experience in politics, it’s obvious that he knows the secrets of creating commercially attractive projects.
The MPBL debut season took place in 2018, and the ambitious tournament’s success was evident from the first matches. In two years, the number of participants tripled, and Manny Pacquiao’s project became the fastest growing basketball league in the world.
The huge spectator interest no longer allowed the MPBL to remain an amateur tournament. In 2021, the league management announced the move to the professional level. Pacquiao took Philippine basketball to the top and boosted the success of the MPBL. He also created youth and women’s basketball leagues and founded a volleyball championship.
The MPBL’s formula for success
Global betting company 1xBet became a strategic partner of the MPBL and helped to promote the tournament. As part of the cooperation agreement, millions of sports enthusiasts learnt about the new league, and loyal fans got the opportunity to stay in touch with their idols by participating in exciting events.
The Philippines is an important region for 1xBet, and the reliable bookmaker was happy to respond to the offer to support the development of basketball locally.
As part of a long-standing productive cooperation, the 1xBet brand logo appears on the teams’ jerseys and courts during broadcasts. The global betting company also takes care of all issues related to the organisation of shows before matches and between quarters.
The partnership with 1xBet has helped the MPBL attract star players, including those with backgrounds in the world’s top leagues. The spectator interest in the tournament has increased as well, and packed stands have become a feature of every regular season game.
Basketball is the new passion of Filipino fans!
The creation of the MPBL has increased the interest of Filipino fans in basketball. This reaction had a positive impact on the performances of the national team, which managed to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup. The Philippines were also close to qualifying for the Paris Olympics, but were eliminated in the playoffs by Brazil.
The Philippines women’s national team had a historic result at the recent FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup. The team sensationally made it to the semi-finals, finishing the tournament in the top 4. This is the best result in the history of Philippine 3×3 basketball.
Taking into account the outstanding performances and resounding victories of the Philippines, as well as crowded stands at MPBL matches, 1xBet recommends its partners to use more basketball content as part of the 1xPartners affiliate programme. This approach will allow them to attract new bettors and earn generous commissions.
Manny Pacquiao didn’t just create a basketball league, he became the architect of a community where everyone has a chance to succeed. He always emphasises the importance of teamwork in sports, politics and business, and this idea is in line with the 1xPartners principles.
The 1xBet affiliate programme is an effective tool in the hands of motivated people who want to become a part of the big sport and get financial rewards for the work done. Basketball is the hottest trend in the Philippines today, and 1xPartners helps convert this trend into generous commissions!
