Manny Pacquiao, celebrated for winning championships across an unprecedented eight weight classes from flyweight to super welterweight and for his draw as a boxing superstar, has been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
This announcement came on Thursday, and Pacquiao is set to receive the honor on June 8 as the highlight of the 2025 induction class.
Alongside him, Vinny Paz, who defied the odds of a near-ending injury from a car accident to revive his boxing career, and former two-division champion Michael Nunn were also honored from the men’s modern category.
In total, 14 individuals were inducted into the museum located in Canastota, New York, through a selection process involving members of the Boxing Writers Association of America as well as a group of international boxing historians.
Pacquiao, with a professional record of 62 wins, 8 losses, and 2 draws, including 39 knockouts, was a standout choice during his first year of eligibility.
His boxing career spanned from 1995 until 2021, during which he etched his name into the sport’s storied history.
Expressing gratitude upon learning about his induction, Pacquiao remarked, “This is certainly a wonderful Christmas gift. Throughout my career, both as a professional fighter and a public servant, I aimed to bring honor to my country, the Philippines, and to Filipinos globally. Today, I am humbled to know that come June, I will receive boxing’s highest honor, joining our national hero, Flash Elorde, along with my trainer and close friend Freddie Roach.”
Initially weighing 106 pounds in his debut, Pacquiao surged to capture a championship at the 154-pound division, all the while maintaining his exceptional speed.
His powerful punches overwhelmed larger opponents, leading to significant victories against renowned Mexican boxers including Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales, not to mention his notable wins against Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley.
One of his career-defining moments came when he faced Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, delivering a punishing victory that effectively ended De La Hoya’s career. Pacquiao was recognized as “Fighter of the Year” by the BBWA in three different years and was also honored as the “Boxer of the Decade” for the 2000-09 period.
With this induction, Pacquiao becomes the fourth Filipino to be enshrined, joining other legends such as Elorde, Pancho Villa, and Lope “Papa” Sarreal.
Paz, who retired with a professional record of 50 wins and 10 losses, including 30 knockouts, had his career nearly cut short after suffering a broken neck just weeks after clinching the WBA light middleweight title in 1991.
Remarkably, he returned to the ring just over a year later and went on to achieve impressive victories, including two wins over the legendary Roberto Duran, all while capturing multiple titles in the super middleweight division before concluding his career in 2004.
Nunn, on the other hand, excelled at both middleweight and super middleweight, finishing his professional journey with a 58-4 record and 38 knockouts from 1984 to 2002.
He expressed his pride by saying, “As a small-town guy from Iowa, reaching the highest achievement in boxing makes me proud.”
The additional inductees include former women’s champions Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis, and Mary Jo Sanders, as well as respected referees Kenny Bayless and Harry Gibbs, along with cut man Al Gavin.
The Observer category saw broadcaster Randy Gordon and HBO producer Ross Greenburg recognized, alongside notable figures such as Cathy “Cat” Davis, Rodrigo Valdez, and Owen Swift, who were acknowledged for their contributions to the sport.
