Humility is Manny’s trademark
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 11 Jun 2025
For all the greatness that surrounds Manny Pacquiao, he remains humble and grateful to God for the blessing of life. Last Sunday, Pacquiao was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York and delivered a speech that moved the audience to tears. Here are 10 takeaways from his remarks.
O Remember your beginnings. Pacquiao said he came from nothing and described himself as a small boy from the streets of General Santos City with no shoes, no food, no chance, just a dream in his heart.
O Never give up. Pacquiao said he knows hunger, pain and what it’s like to be counted out. But he never gave up, found boxing as his way out of hardship and turned struggles into strength, failures into lessons and pain into purpose.
O For God’s glory. Pacquiao recalled his boxing journey where he won world titles in eight divisions from flyweight to superwelterweight. “Every fight, every victory was a step farther from poverty,” he noted. “It wasn’t just for me but for my family, the Filipino people, fans all over the world and glory of our God.”
O Work hard to be better. Pacquiao said he never chased greatness and worked hard to be better than he was yesterday. “I never picked the easy fights,” he affirmed. “I chose the hard ones. I moved up weight after weight not to protect a record but to test my limits. Now, when I look back, eight division world champion, world titles in four different decades, oldest world welterweight champion in history. Those are not just opinions, they’re facts.”
O How you live your life. Pacquiao said it’s not about you but how you live your life to inspire others. “Call me a fighter, call me a warrior, call me a proud Filipino, call me a servant of God,” he stated. “Some people ask who’s the greatest of all time. It’s not for me to decide. It belongs to the fans, it belongs to history.”
O Be grateful to others. Pacquiao recognized the promoters who played a big part in his boxing odyssey. He cited Bob Arum for “giving a kid from the Philippines the chance to show the world what he could do” and Al Haymon for the opportunities in the later stages of his career.
O Dedication. Pacquiao dedicated his enshrinement to every underdog, every dreamer and those who keep fighting even when the odds are against them. He made special mention of his family, his wife Jinkee, their five children. “You are my heart,” he said. “You are the reason why I fight beyond the ring.” He also paid tribute to the Filipino people for their love, prayers and support through the years. “You carried me through every victory, every defeat,” he said. Pacquiao commended media and the press for the work they do, his coaches Freddie Roach, Buboy Fernandez and Justin Fortune, Team Pacquiao, fans around the world for encouraging and inspiring him every step of the way and to every young boy and girl with a dream, “don’t let your situation define your future.”
O Nothing is impossible. Pacquiao said with God, all things are possible and quoted Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous, don’t be afraid, don’t be discouraged for the Lord our God will be with you wherever you go.” It’s what happened to him. “God was with me from the slums of Sarangani to the bright lights of Las Vegas to the International Boxing Hall of Fame,” he attested. “I’m so thankful and grateful to God and the glory, honor and praises belong to Him, not to Manny Pacquiao or anybody but to God who created everything.”
O Proud heritage. Even as he was before a global audience, Pacquiao spoke in Pilipino in a patriotic climax. “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas at mabuhay ang bawa’t Pilipino na nangangarap at lumalaban,” he said.
O Sharing the accolade. Pacquiao declined to own the honor of his induction and said, “This is our victory, this is our story and the best is yet to come.” On July 19, he returns to the ring to continue making dreams come true.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
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