Manny Pacquiao turned pro in boxing in 1995, just about a month after he turned 16 years old. He fought his first 23 bouts at home in the Philippines before heading to the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo in 1998 to meet Shin Terao.
Pacquiao dropped Terao three times and won in 2:59. That was Manny’s last fight before he won his first world title about seven months later, and Pacquiao still has the license he got from the Japan Boxing Commission nearly 23 years ago:
“What a journey it’s been,” Pacquiao wrote. “Never thought I’d be able (to) accomplish everything God has allowed me to accomplish in and out of the ring.”
It really has been an incredible life and career for the fighter, one the lad in the license photo from over two decades ago truly couldn’t have seen coming.
Of course, Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO) has won world titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140, 147, and 154 in his now-legendary career, and has become a global sporting icon as well as a Senator in his home country.
Currently, the 42-year-old Pacquiao is planning his first fight since the summer of 2019, and Mikey Garcia is the latest name rumored to be in line for Manny.