The immediate future looks bright for Manny Pacquiao as 2016 promises him either a crack at old nemeses Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez or big money bouts with new challengers like Amir Khan or Terence Crawford. With the freedom to pick and choose from lucrative fight venues, Manny may be seen in Vegas, Dubai, Macau, or any number of high-end markets.
But time waits for no man and, at 36 years of age with twenty years of fighting behind him, the end is coming for the Filipino icon.
So, how will history remember Manny Pacquiao? What will be the legacy of the ?Pac-man??
Pacquiao could very well go down as the greatest Asian fighter of all-time. That, alone, is enough of an accomplishment for a pro. He?s also in consideration for the very best of this era, likely earning a spot on this generation?s Mt. Rushmore of boxing, alongside Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins, and Roy Jones Jr. In the deep, deep waters of all-time great status, Pacquiao has earned a respectable spot somewhere near the top, which will no doubt be solidified if he continues to perform well during the last couple of years of his career.
Financially, Pacquiao?s numbers boggle the mind and, if not for existing at the same time as Floyd Mayweather, would easily make him the greatest money earner of all-time. But even as #2 to Mayweather?s #1, Manny?s financial success is nothing short of amazing. According to Forbes Magazine, Pacquiao has earned in excess of $470 million in his career and, overall, has generated over $1.3 billion in his nineteen fights as a pay-per-view attraction. And the financial figures defy calculation when considering what he has meant to all of those working in industries reliant upon his star power?from the casinos to hotels to merchandising to the writers covering his exploits.
The most important legacy of Manny Pacquiao, however, may be the one that has been most felt outside the ring. As the ultimate Cinderella story of our times, Manny has given hope to the hopeless and has been a hero to those looking for someone to look up to. From his native Philippines to Africa to Mexico, his story is one that resonates and he has never shirked his responsibilities as a role model to the poor and downtrodden. Obviously, nobody is perfect, but few have carried so much responsibility with so much class for so long.
When Manny Pacquiao leaves the boxing ring behind, he will leave the world?and not just the boxing world– a better place. And that?s probably the greatest legacy a man can ever hope to achieve.
