Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao

To earn the title of hero or superstar it takes a lot of work and courage. For Manny Pacquiao, a Philipino national hero, he has put in all that work to earn the respect. When people say Manny Pacquiao is lucky or just has a gift for boxing, they are wrong, Manny Pacquiao had to work for the spotlight he now has. "Pacquiao's success as a boxer has made him a national hero in the Philippines. He carried the Philippine flag during the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. In 2010, Pacquiao was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives from Sarangani, a remote province in the southern part of the country," (Milbert). Now thirty-three, Manny began his boxing career at the age of sixteen. He was born into a family of little means. "Pacquiao was born to a very poor family in Kibawe in the Philippines and was the second of four children. After his abusive father left the family, Pacquiao was forced to drop out of school and work to support his family. He sold bread around the neighborhood. He also discovered early in life that he was a talented fighter. He used to fight for small sums of money. By the time he was 15 he was training seriously to be a boxer," (Manny Pacquiao). Manny Pacquiao is an athlete that young people can look up to because of his dedication to the sport of boxing, his accomplishments and titles, his efforts to support his native country.

Manny Pacquiao is a hero because of his recognition of being "Pound 4 Pound King." In 2003 Pacquiao was "...voted Person of the Year in the Philippines over Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was then two years into her term as president of the country. Four years later, in 2007, he unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the national legislature. He then returned to boxing full-time, but a few days after his November 2009 bout he formed a new "local" political party, the Peoples' Champ Movement, back in the Philippines. He again declared his candidacy for a legislative seat, for a district in Mindanao, and, on May 10, 2010, won by an overwhelming margin" (Nigel). Manny Pacquiao showed his recognition because of all the hard work he puts in to his country. After Manny Pacquiao had shown the efforts to his community he became an elected official. He still fights every fight he can and still works hard for his country. In the boxer's second attempt to win a seat in Congress after a failed bid in 2007, Pacquiao faced a tough opponent supported by the biggest political and business-owning families in Sarangani, and who had close links to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo," (Manny Pacquiao). Manny Pacquiao is considered a hero throughout the whole world because of his accomplishments.

Manny Pacquiao shows his dedication to the sport by training so hard. Manny left home "...as a teenager and stowed away on a ship bound for Manila, where he became a boxer. He made his professional debut as a junior flyweight on Jan. 22, 1995, at the age of 16. Many of his early bouts were televised on a program called Blow by Blow, where his all-action style and boyish smile quickly made him a favorite with Filipino boxing fans. He won his first major title on Dec. 4, 1998, knocking out Thailand's Chatchai Sasakul to capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title," (Nigel). Manny Pacquiao shows his dedication to the sport by training day in and day out to be the best boxer he can be. He shows all of that in the ring when he beats his opponent. After failing to make weight, "...however, he lost the title to Medgoen Singsurat (or Lukchaopormasak) of Thailand in September 1999. Pacquiao moved up in weight class, and on June 23, 2001, in his first fight in the United States, he scored a sixth-round knockout of Lehlo Ledwaba to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior featherweight title. Following four successful defenses, he knocked out Mexico's Marco Antonio Barrera on Nov. 15, 2003, to become The Ring magazine featherweight champion," (Nigel). Every day many Pacquiao has to train day in and day out. There are not many people that have the dedication he has. The way he trains with Freddy Roach is just amazing. Manny Pacquiao can show the world his dedication with all the efforts he puts into the sport.

Many people think that Manny Pacquiao is a person that does only for himself but really he gives back to people in need. Manny Pacquiao not only is the best fighter in the world right now, he can also show that he is a better person in life rather than a boxer. He shows this by lifting every day, training his best to go out on that ring, and proving that he is a great fighter. He gives back to his community not only by donating but by being one of the representatives of his country. He inspires me and others not because of how many people he can knock out through his career but the efforts he puts into doing that. This man is not only a good person he is a great person and that's why he is a hero to many people throughout the world.

"Manny Pacquiao." Newsmakers. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 4 May. 2011. Milbert, Neil. "Pacquiao, Manny." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2011. Web. 11 May 2011. "Good luck Mayweather -- PacMan." Manila Times [Manila, Philippines] 20 Dec. 2010. Global Issues In Context. Web. 12 May 2011. Manny Pacquaio bids for political power." Independent Television News Limited [ITN] 28 Mar. 2010. Global Issues In Context. Web. 12 May 2011. Nigel, Collins. "Pacquiao, Manny." Britannica Biographies (2010): 1. History Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 12 May 2011.