Amid the criticisms news anchor Karen Davila is receiving for allegedly putting boxing champion Manny Pacquiao between a rock and a hard place with questions about the latter?s educational background, or lack thereof, two responses from the Pacman stood out in his appearance in the ANC program ?Headstart.?
Pacquiao agreed that senators and presidents should have college degrees. When told by Davila that he might not qualify for the said posts if a college degree would be required, Pacquiao disclosed that he is working on getting one.
Pacquiaoarguably understands the value of a good education. Pacquiao was a high school dropout who took up boxing as a ticket out of poverty. While he had bankrolled millions of dollars as a champion boxer, Pacquiao is still bent on getting a college degree. In February 2007, he passed the Accreditation and Equivalency Test for high school and subsequently enrolled in a business program at the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University in General Santos City.
Pacquiao is still without a college degree, but he has apparently not given up on his dream of securing one. Pacquiao may have won a record eight division crowns, but he still wants to be part of a very exclusive group in pro boxing: champions with college degrees.
Former world welterweight champion Carlos Palomino of Mexico is in the record books for being the first-degree holder to win a world boxing crown. He accomplished the feat in June 1976, when he stopped John Stracey in 12 rounds to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title. Before becoming a champion, Palomino had earned a degree in Recreation Administration from Long Beach State. Palomino thus became the first college graduate to become a world boxing champion.
On January 21, 1977, Palomino defended the WBC title opposite Armando Muniz. This fight marked the first time in boxing history where two college graduates fought for the world title. Before challenging for the title, Muniz had graduated from Cal State Los Angeles, where he majored in Spanish and minored in Math. Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray aptly described the fight as ?boxing?s finest intellectual hour.? In a pulsating fight, Palomino stopped Muniz in 15 rounds to retain the WBC title.
Palomino heads a very scarce group in boxing. Dig this: The sport has produced many great heavyweight champions, but it was not until 1986 when a college graduate was crowned heavyweight king.
American James ?Bonecrusher? Smith became the first college graduate to win the world heavyweight title when he knocked out Tim Witherspoon in December 1986 for the World Boxing Association (WBA) crown. Thirteen years before he became champion, Smith earned an associate?s degree in Business Administration from James Sprunt Community College. In 1975, Smith also earned a Business Administration bachelor?s degree from Shaw University. Oh, he told Jet magazine that he graduated ?cum laude.? Smith was already 28 years old when he decided to enter pro boxing. To this day, Smith credits his educational background for helping him understand fight contracts and other intricate transactions in boxing.
Palomino and Smith have become a source of inspiration for many boxers.
Ukrainian brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, the most famous brothers to hold the heavyweight crown, were known intellectuals before they became champions.Vitali Klitschko retired from boxing in 2013 after giving up the WBC heavyweight crown and eventually became a member of the Ukrainian parliament. Vitali is on record for being the first pro boxing champion with a doctorate degree (PhD in Sports Science), a milestone subsequently duplicated by his younger brother Wladimir. Both brothers speak at least four languages.
Former world lightweight champ Juan ?Baby Bull? Diaz owns a Bachelor?s Degree in Political Science; Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez is an accounting graduate while our very own Gerry Penalosa finished BS Criminology at the University of Cebu.
Boxers may be known more for their brawns, but it is never too late to hit the books. In the final analysis, the pen remains mightier than the glove.
