Manny Pacquiao autobiography may or may not get at real Manny
With the release of his autobiography, Pacman: My Story of Hope, Resilience, and Never-say-Never Determination on November 16, fans of the boxing star are hoping for answers to the often uttered question: who is Manny Pacquiao?
What we know:
Manny is a seven-division champion, and one of two of the most popular names in professional boxing. The 5ft 6in fighter debuted at 107 pounds and now fights at 145-150.
After defeating Joshua Clottey in March he was elected into congress in his native Philippines, and became congressman of the lone province of Sarangani. It’s no secret that in coming years he’d like to campaign for a place in the Senate.
Manny Pacquiao, world class fighter. Incumbent Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, lawmaker.
Despite being a media darling and a national superstar in the Philippines, the truth is not much is known about Manny Pacquiao the person. His achievements are cast on stone in sunlight, that goes without saying. Thanks to a number of credible sources including
Gary Andrew Poole’s biography Pacman, we know he grew up in extreme poverty and boxing was his ticket to an unimaginable life. We know he is Roman Catholic, married with children, and has an increasing political voice.
But as far as the man himself, wide-sweeping mystery remains.
There are a few problems with getting to Manny. For one, while deeply admirable, there’s nothing more cliché than the rags to riches story. For two, Manny is a deceptively hard subject to evaluate.
Just tune in to a typical Pacquiao interview with one of the million reporters who stalk his every movement. It’s not uncommon to hear the following exchange: ‘So, Manny, do you think you’ll keep fighting after...?’ ‘Yeah, you know, I fight for the people,
to keep them happy,’ which, while probably true, is a completely useless answer.
The point can be extended. Pacquiao has solidified himself as the ultimate people’s fighter, a man who does everything in their interest. But a response about the people when we’re interested in Pacquiao can only prove effective for so long—after that
we’re just wondering why he won’t commit to an internal answer.
Poole is clear to emphasize in his book that Manny retains many childish qualities in everyday life, despite being congressman. He routinely plays jokes on his entourage, and people oblige him with laughter even when his jokes aren’t funny (he’s Pacquiao,
after all). But where that gets really interesting is when Poole tries to examine why Pacquiao remains such a kid. The conclusion is that perhaps Pacquiao “acts like a child because he had no childhood.”
There are other obstacles to “Pacman.” Language is one. This is obvious any time you tune into an interview. Often Pacquiao gives one-word, meaningless answers in English, and it’s obvious it’s because it’s hard work for him to keep up a North American
dialect (as any one speaking a second language can testify).
Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s advisor, has helped with the cultural divide, but it remains distinctly intact and part of Pacquiao’s brand.
In a famous late-night appearance with Jimmy Kimmel, Pacquiao seemed in good spirits, but nevertheless confused by North American hustle and bustle. He laughed frequently at Kimmel’s jokes, but his gestures seemed completely scripted; as if Koncz and others
had told him to play a role and he was only too happy to embrace it.
The result is that for some, Pacquiao is a boxing enigma because while he’s the sport’s biggest face, he’s also phenomenally uncool.
After all, anyone who will sing George Benson’s “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You” on television without a sense of irony is either unbelievably confident in himself or utterly naive to social realities. In both cases, not of this world.
You might be wondering how that’s possible for a politician. But therein lies the rub: Manny’s profound un-coolness and his apparent lack of knowledge of basic politics prove his biggest draws for many fans.
After all, the politics of determination and hope always trump the politics of cool.
Pacquiao takes on Antonio Margarito in November 13 for the WBC junior middleweight title.
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