Manny Pacquiao is one of the most successful boxers of the 21st century.
He made his professional debut back in 1995, and has gone on to have 72 fights in those three decades since.
Pacquiao holds a number of records and accolades that may never be broken, including being the only eight-division champion in the history of the sport.
His first world title win came at flyweight in 1998 at the age of just 19, before then moving up the weight divisions and taking part in some of the biggest fights that boxing has seen against the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Tim Bradley and Ricky Hatton.
It all may not have happened though if not for Pacquiao’s favourite fighter, after he revealed to Seconds Out that fellow boxing legend Mike Tyson played a pivotal role in him deciding to lace up the gloves.
“Mike Tyson is my favourite fighter. The reason I became a boxer was because of Mike Tyson in 1990.”
Tyson is the youngest world heavyweight champion in history and widely regarded as one of the best boxers to ever grace the banner division.
After initially retiring in 2005 after back-to-back defeats, he recently returned at the age of 58 for a controversial fight with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
It was a bout that many in boxing didn’t want to see take place, as Paul claimed a unanimous decision win after eight two-minute rounds, but Pacquiao doesn’t believe it will diminish Tyson’s legacy in the sport.
