MANNY PACQUIAO may be one of boxing’s greatest stars but he made a surprise appearance in a basketball game in the Philippines. The move raised eyebrows as his November 22 fight with Chris Algieri is fast approaching. But Pacquiao insists he is not taking his challenger lightly.
“Chris Algieri is young, taller than me and he’s a hungry fighter so I’m not underestimating him. I have to focus and work very hard in preparing for this fight,” said Pacquiao.
His interests do reach beyond the sport, though he suggests his political ambitions don’t yet extend further than his current role as a congressman in his homeland. “My focus is serving people the best I can as a congressman. Helping the poor people is important to me – to be there for those living in poverty right now,” he said.
The missing piece of Pacquiao’s boxing resume is of course the omission of a fight with Floyd Mayweather. “I want to make that fight happen for the fans. I don’t have the answer to that right now, but as long as I am in boxing and he’s in boxing, there’s a possibility that the fight between us will happen,” Manny declared.
His story may not be over but a Pacquiao film is coming out. Manny says, “This documentary movie was started almost four years ago by Ryan Moore, the director and producer of this movie. He and his crew have been following me all these years capturing my story. During fights, training camps, at home with my family and even in Congress he’s been with me. It’s a film about my life – I hope it gives inspiration to the people.”
MANNY comes to Blu-ray and DVD on November 17, from Universal Pictures (UK)
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