When pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao seeks political office in the Philippines this spring, he won’t be the first boxer to try to make the transition from pugilism to government.
Just ask Massachusetts’ state auditor Joe Denucci, a former top 10 middleweight contender who fought from 1957 – 1973.
“If Pacquiao feels it in his heart that he can help the people of his country, then I’d absolutely recommend that he run for office.” Denucci said recently when asked about Pacman’s political aspirations. He would add, “but it’s all up to him…He knows if he feels the fire in his belly.”
Denucci says that boxing “opened doors” for him to eventually get into politics.
“In 1956 at the Golden Gloves in Lowell I was fighting and a friend of mine brought John Thompson, who was then the speaker of the house in Massachusetts.” Denucci recalled, “After the fight (Thompson) says to me what are you doing this summer?”
Denucci was planning on training a little for boxing and doing other things to keep himself occupied. Thompson offered him a job at the state house as his page boy.
“I didn’t know beacon hill from bunker hill at the time”, Denucci joked.
However, that exposure to the political world got him interested.
Eventually he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for 10 years and for six years, he was House Chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs
“I lost my first election to an established and popular politician”, said Denucci, “I read that Pacquiao has run for politics before in the Philippines and lost. It’s hard to win a big election as a first time candidate but I came pretty close.”
Denucci finished his pro boxing career with a record of 54-15, with 27 KO’s. He twice beat contender Mike Pusateri and twice lost split decisions to former world champion Emile Griffith. Denucci never got a world title shot.
“It was different then. There were only 8 weight classes and 1 world champion per division….I wish it’d go back to those days.”
While he doesn’t follow boxing as closely as he used to, Denucci says from what’s seen of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather he likes.
“They both seem to be pretty good fighters.”
But when it comes to going from pugilism to politics, Denucci offers Pacquiao this advice.
“They’re both difficult. In boxing you need discipline to watch what you eat and maintaining your weight and all of that..Obviously that’s not the case in politics. But Pacquiao should follow his heart and he feels he can help his people, he should do it. But it’s his choice.”
