text: Emmanuel "Manny" D. Pacquiao (born December 17, 1978), aka "Pacman" and "The Destroyer" is the reigning WBC International Super Featherweight Champion (2005–present), former RING People's Featherweight Champion (2003 to 2005), former IBF Super Bantamweight Champion (2001 to 2004), and former WBC Flyweight Champion (1998 to 1999). He has a record of 41 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, with 34 wins coming by way of knockout.\n\n[edit]\nBiography\nPacquiao was born in the province of Bukidnon in the Philippines. It is not certain whether he started selling bread called "pan de sal" on the streets or made it as a bread maker or a "panadero" who makes different kinds of breads including the "pan de sal". There are news items that link him to being cocky in bars, starting fights but that part of his personality may have faded as evident of his closeness to God (as a Catholic) on recent interviews as well as his religious gestures before and after a fight.\n\n[edit]\nCareer\nThe boxer, who hails from General Santos City, Philippines is also dubbed "The Destroyer" by his peers in the boxing world. He has ended many of his fights with his left punch.\n\nThe 27-year-old Pacquiao started his professional boxing career in 1995 at 106 pounds. He bounced in weight from 106 to 113 pounds before losing in his 12th fight against Rustico Torrecampo via third round technical knockout. Shortly after the Torrecampo fight Pacquiao settled in at 112 pounds, winning the WBC Flyweight title only to lose it in his second defense against Medgoen Singsurat by third round knockout. Theoretically speaking, Pacquiao may have lost the belt at the scales by not being able to make weight of 112 lb (51 kg).\n\nFollowing the loss to Singsurat, Pacquiao again jumped in weight, this time stopping at the Super Bantamweight division of 122 lb (55 kg) where he picked up the WBC International title, defending it five times before his next world title fight came. Pacquiao’s big break came on June 23rd, 2001, against IBF Super Bantamweight champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba. Pacquiao stepped into the fight as a late replacement and walked out of the fight the newly crowned IBF Super Bantamweight champion. Pacquiao scored three knockdowns before the end of the fight was called in the fifth round.\n\n \nPacquiao wobbles Erik Morales.Manny went on to defend his title four times before the match that many consider to have defined his career, against his childhood boxing idol, Marco Antonio Barrera of Mexico came. Pacquiao rose from an official knockdown in the first round, and won the fight by technical knockout, when Barrera’s corner stopped the fight in the eleventh round. With this victory, the "Pacman" captured the WBO and Ring Magazine People's Featherweight Title, as Barrera had beaten Naseem Hamed previously for that belt. Pacquiao's performance established himself, according to many critics, fans and boxing magazines alike, as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, and put the Philippines on the boxing world's map again where he follows in the\nfootsteps of past Filipino boxing stars such as "Flash Elorde", Ben Villaflor, and\nPancho Villa, among others.\n\n \nPacquiao knocks down Erik Morales.Only six months removed from his win over Marco Antonio Barrera, Pacquiao went on to challenge another respected Mexican boxer, Juan Manuel Marquez, holder of the WBA and IBF Featherweight Title. Experts predicted that Marquez, a dangerous counter-puncher, would prevail over Pacquiao because of his apparently superior boxing skills. The fight turned out to be one of the greatest Featherweight clashes in the history of boxing. Pacquiao's handspeed and punching power was displayed early as he stormed Marquez with jabs and straight lefts that sent the Mexican Champion to the canvas three times in the first round alone. It looked as if Pacquiao was on his way to 