Over the years, indeed the decades, we’ve seen some ‘boxing juniors,’ sons, or daughters, of great fighters try and emulate their parents, or make their own way in the toughest sport on the planet. Some did well – Laila Ali, Guty Espadas Jr, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Tracy Harris Patterson, Cory Spinks. Others didn’t get on so well – Marvis Frazier, Ronald Hearns, Hasim Rahman Jr. While the occasional offspring surpassed the lofty achievements of dad: Floyd Mayweather Jr, for one huge example.
Now, it could be Manny Pacquiao Junior’s turn.
Pac Man Jr, who is a listed 4-4 as an amateur and is currently 23 years of age, has boxed at super lightweight, and some reports say he is considering going pro next year. And, boy, we have to talk about some enormous shoes to fill here. Manny Pacquiao is of course recognised by all as an all-time great, as a super-special fighter, a man who won world titles at more weights than any other boxer in history. And Pacquiao may fight again in 2025.
But Emanuel Jr, who is trained by Marvin Somodo, may be about to begin his own journey in the pro ranks.
“Manny Jr is just training every day just like my other fighter professional fighters,” Somono said recently to WBN. “We are hoping to get him a fight soon, but the main thing is improving him at the gym every day. Turning pro in the future is the plan for him, and once I see that he is ready. The plan is for him to become a professional boxer, but you never know. He is doing really well. His work ethic is really good. You see him in the gym every day and [he will] never complain. We spar with world class fighters, and he does well. His future depends on his performance when he turns pro. I believe he will do well, but only time will tell.”
We have of course seen some hugely promising fighters crash and burn soon after going pro, and it is basically anyone’s guess when it comes to how far Manny Jr can and will go. The original Pac Man was quite literally starving when he took on a boxing career, and his literal and figurative hunger assisted him enormously as he punched for pay.
Whether or not Pacquiao Jr is anything like as hungry, as determined, and yes, as desperate to make it as his old man was, well, who knows. But with his famously celebrated surname, Emanuel Jr’s pro debut – whenever it comes – will certainly prove to be a big deal.
How much can the next gen Pac Man achieve?
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