Manny Pacquiao’s son ‘Jimuel’ deserves chance to pursue boxing dream ... even if his parents are scared
- Filipino boxing icon has second thoughts and urges Emmanuel Pacquiao Jnr to stay out of the ring
- ‘Pacman’ says his wife Jinkee cries at thought of their son boxing but ‘he really wants to do it’
Many years ago Muhammad Ali was asked by a reporter whether he wanted any of his sons or daughters to follow in his footsteps and become a professional boxer.
Ali’s face brightened and “The Greatest” replied: “Be an engineer, be a lawyer, be a doctor, go to school, don’t be a fool,” he said before pausing. “Don’t be a boxer like me because you can’t be like me!” he added to laughter.
Two generations later, Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao faces a dilemma with his own children. The phenomenal success of “Pacman” has inspired millions of his fellow countrymen, not least his 18-year-old son, Emmanuel Junior, who now wants to be like daddy.
But Pacquiao’s mind and heart are split. On one hand, he wants his children to follow their dreams, but on the other he doesn’t really want his son to go through the same struggles he went through in becoming one of the world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighters.
Should he allow his son to make fighting his living? Or should his son stay away from the fight business altogether and become a lawyer or doctor or some respected trade that daddy would still be proud of?
The 40-year-old earlier this month watched Junior, also known as “Jimuel”, put on the gloves and go toe-to-toe with his school friend in a two-round amateur exhibition in the Philippines.
Video footage of the fight was posted online and had tongues wagging as Jimuel showed some of his dad’s legendary moves, knocking down Lucas Carson at least once during his debut. Pacquiao watched the entire fight on FaceTime – a video-calling service – and was proud of what he saw.
The fighting senator of Sarangani was at first supportive of his son’s venture into the ring, going as far as saying that Jimuel could become a champion one day – if he put in the hard work.
“I support Emmanuel Jnr in any and all of his endeavours. Boxing is a very tough sport, but I believe my son has what it takes to become a champion, if he puts his mind and heart into it,” Pacquiao told the South China Morning Post last week.
Junior only took up boxing in December 2018 and has already shown enormous potential with his aggressive, no-let up style reminiscent of his father.
But Pacquiao now has second thoughts about his son becoming a prize fighter. He has now urged Junior to stay out of the ring after his forays into fighting made the young man’s mother cry.
Jinkee Pacquiao also watched Junior fight and was excited at first but must have come to her senses, worried sick that her son could get hurt in the ring.
Meanwhile Pacquiao, a 12-time champion in eight different weight divisions, has returned to reality after having a bit of fun watching his son fight for the first time. After discussions with his wife, he has decided that the family’s home should not have any gloves and equipment so as to discourage any member of the family to take up the sport.
Instead, Pacquiao, whose rags-to-riches climb from the mean streets of Manila to international boxing superstar, has tried to convince Junior to choose another path.
“It pains me that he is boxing because I know how hard it is. I told him, ‘Daddy only went into boxing because of poverty ... You, you don’t need to box’,” Pacquiao said to Filipino broadcaster ABS-CBN.
“But he said: ‘Daddy, like you boxing is my passion also. I want to be a representative of this country as an athlete’,” Pacquiao added.
“His mummy had cried several times telling him, ‘Don’t go into boxing, son’,” 40-year-old Pacquiao, who has also been urged by his wife to quit the ring, said. “He really wants to do it,” he added.
Pacquiao has made it a point to his son that he had to etch out a living as a youngster fighting for a few dollars as a means to survive.
Junior definitely doesn’t need to fight his way out of poverty. Pacquiao and his family have at least seven homes, including prime real estate in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. This writer has been to Pacquiao’s General Santos home – nicknamed the “White House” – a spacious compound equipped with everything you could dream of, including a swimming pool and basketball court. Pacquiao flies by private jet and according to Forbes has a net worth of around US$500 million, earned during his career from purses, pay-per-view and endorsements.
With Pacman such a respected figure both inside and outside the ring – he’s serving a six-year term until 2022 as senator – Junior could be accepted into the world’s best universities and become a lawyer or a doctor, something his father would be proud of. Pacquiao never had these opportunities growing up.
Yet sons don’t always follow their father’s footsteps. David Beckham’s eldest son, 19-year-old Brooklyn, is a roving photographer. He’s an artist of a different kind and has no interest in becoming a professional footballer.
So should Junior forget about becoming a professional boxer and pursue another dream? With his parents saying boxing is a no-no in the family, Junior must have been left devastated.
We know boxing isn’t for everybody but maybe his parents should give him a chance and a few years to find out whether he really has the desire to become a champion. If that’s what he wants to do in life so be it. He should pursue his dreams and do what his heart desires because he definitely has talent.
