Stroke
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 17, 2012
- 40,017
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[h=1]Where Manny Pacquiao got his grit: Contender pictured as a teenage boxer in a Manila gym as he prepares for $300m fight against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas[/h]
The Filipino has been involved in some of the biggest bouts in the world over the past decade or so, facing the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and four fights against Mexican warrior Juan Manuel Marquez.
But it's been a tough road to the top for Pacquiao from being born into poverty in the Philippines. He spent the early part of his career boxing in the Far East before being given his chance on the big stage in 2001 against Lehlo Ledwaba in an IBF world super-bantamweight title fight in Las Vegas.
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Manny Pacquiao pictured as a teenager in a boxing gym in Manila before he became a global superstar
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The FIlipino boxer working out at the LM Gym in Manila, Philippines as a 17-year-old before he fought his way to the top of the game
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Pacquiao has made a remarkable rise through the weight divisions from being an incredibly slight light-flyweight when he made his debut
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Pacquiao left home aged 14 to move to the Philippines capital Manila to pursue his career in the sport which has made him an icon
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The 36-year-old spent his early career fighting in the Far East before being given his chance on the big stage in Las Vegas in 2001
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Pacquiao pictured as a 17-year-old in the LM Gym in Manila when mega-fights, like the one against Floyd Mayweather, were just a dream
Ever since dethroning the South African world champion on that June night at the MGM Grand 14 years ago, Pacquiao hasn't looked back and is set to take on Mayweather in the Fight of the Century on Saturday.
Just days away from the $300million showdown on the Vegas Strip, pictures have emerged of Pacquiao as a teenager in a Manila boxing gym, when occasions such as this Saturday night were just a dream.
Pacquiao moved away from home a the age of 14 to the country's capital Manila to pursue his boxing career and the rest, as they say, is history. The 36-year-old is now one of the biggest stars in the world.
These incredible pictures show Pacquiao training at the LM Gym in Manila in 1996 at the age of 17 after he won his first 10 professional bouts - all of which were in 1995.
In the same year that these pictures were taken, Mayweather was preparing to box at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, which ended for him in a controversial loss against Serafim Todorov in the semi-finals.
Nineteen years later, Mayweather and Pacquiao will finally cross paths in the biggest fight of this generation. The pair will make their first public appearances of the week on Tuesday as the bout draws ever closer.
Boxing fans have already begun pouring into Las Vegas to taste the atmosphere building around the richest fight in history, even though only 500 tickets for the clash were made available for general sale.
Pacquiao will host a fans' rally on Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay Hotel with trainer Freddie Roach, promoter Bob Arum and his pet Jack Russell Pacman also present.
Attention then turns to the MGM Grand, the venue for the fight on Saturday and where Mayweather will be making his grand arrival.
The welterweight rivals were both due to attend the traditional grand arrival that marks the beginning of fight week only for Arum to withdraw Pacquiao, claiming the event is a 'waste of time'.
Arum also pulled the plug on a media conference call with Pacquiao last week before a question had been asked, while Mayweather spoke for almost half an hour the following night. The one upmanship
- Manny Pacquiao will take on Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday
- The Filipino boxer is one of the biggest stars in the world of sport after a series of big fights
- Pacquiao spent his early years boxing in Manila in the Philippines and was pictured training as a 17-year-old
- Pictures taken in 1996 show Pacquiao training at the LM Gym in Manila before he became a star
The Filipino has been involved in some of the biggest bouts in the world over the past decade or so, facing the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and four fights against Mexican warrior Juan Manuel Marquez.
But it's been a tough road to the top for Pacquiao from being born into poverty in the Philippines. He spent the early part of his career boxing in the Far East before being given his chance on the big stage in 2001 against Lehlo Ledwaba in an IBF world super-bantamweight title fight in Las Vegas.
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Manny Pacquiao pictured as a teenager in a boxing gym in Manila before he became a global superstar
+16
The FIlipino boxer working out at the LM Gym in Manila, Philippines as a 17-year-old before he fought his way to the top of the game
+16
Pacquiao has made a remarkable rise through the weight divisions from being an incredibly slight light-flyweight when he made his debut
+16
Pacquiao left home aged 14 to move to the Philippines capital Manila to pursue his career in the sport which has made him an icon
+16
The 36-year-old spent his early career fighting in the Far East before being given his chance on the big stage in Las Vegas in 2001
+16
Pacquiao pictured as a 17-year-old in the LM Gym in Manila when mega-fights, like the one against Floyd Mayweather, were just a dream
Ever since dethroning the South African world champion on that June night at the MGM Grand 14 years ago, Pacquiao hasn't looked back and is set to take on Mayweather in the Fight of the Century on Saturday.
Just days away from the $300million showdown on the Vegas Strip, pictures have emerged of Pacquiao as a teenager in a Manila boxing gym, when occasions such as this Saturday night were just a dream.
Pacquiao moved away from home a the age of 14 to the country's capital Manila to pursue his boxing career and the rest, as they say, is history. The 36-year-old is now one of the biggest stars in the world.
These incredible pictures show Pacquiao training at the LM Gym in Manila in 1996 at the age of 17 after he won his first 10 professional bouts - all of which were in 1995.
In the same year that these pictures were taken, Mayweather was preparing to box at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, which ended for him in a controversial loss against Serafim Todorov in the semi-finals.
Nineteen years later, Mayweather and Pacquiao will finally cross paths in the biggest fight of this generation. The pair will make their first public appearances of the week on Tuesday as the bout draws ever closer.
Boxing fans have already begun pouring into Las Vegas to taste the atmosphere building around the richest fight in history, even though only 500 tickets for the clash were made available for general sale.
Pacquiao will host a fans' rally on Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay Hotel with trainer Freddie Roach, promoter Bob Arum and his pet Jack Russell Pacman also present.
Attention then turns to the MGM Grand, the venue for the fight on Saturday and where Mayweather will be making his grand arrival.
The welterweight rivals were both due to attend the traditional grand arrival that marks the beginning of fight week only for Arum to withdraw Pacquiao, claiming the event is a 'waste of time'.
Arum also pulled the plug on a media conference call with Pacquiao last week before a question had been asked, while Mayweather spoke for almost half an hour the following night. The one upmanship
