The rise of Manny Pacquiao: The peoples champ

Two decades before he was to face the fight of his life, international boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao walked in unannounced to Freddie Roach’s gym above a laundromat in a Hollywood strip mall, a visit that changed the course of both men’s careers.

“He walked in; I had no idea who he was, I had never heard of him before,” Roach recalled a few years ago to ESPN. “His manager asked if I could work the mitts with him; they had heard I caught punches well. After one round, I went over to my people and said, ‘Wow. This kid can fight.'”

[Manny Pacquiao has won so much, some wonder what he might have lost]

Over the course of their careers they have taken down some of boxing’s best, but they couldn’t have done it alone. Pacquiao and the trainer have an “inseparable bond, father/son, mentor/mentee to each other, absolute trust and faith, a rare relationship,” photographer J.P. Yim told In Sight. Yim has photographed Pacquiao and Roach for over 10 years and says that the two make make a perfect combination — the right time for the right two people.

Rick Maese of The Washington Post writes: “Roach helped mold Pacquiao into a champion in eight weight classes, one of the two best fighters of his generation — the other being Mayweather. In turn, the boxer helped make Roach a seven-time winner of the sport’s award for trainer of the year.”

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In the years that she has photographed Pacquiao, Yim says, the boxer has remained the kind and charismatic man that he always has been. But now, Yim says, the boxer’s faith and his service to his family, community and country are an even greater presence in his life. “He knows he has been incredibly lucky and blessed and wants to do all that he can do to return that to his country and those around him,” Yim said. “He is the people’s champ.”

Pacquiao’s celebrity status in the Philippines has won the hearts of many fans. “Generally, whenever he fights, the world stops in the Philippines,” Nick Giongco, a longtime Pacquiao chronicler and a reporter for the Manila Bulletin, told The Washington Post. “The crime rate goes down, there’s a cease-fire among rebels and government troops. It’s actually not formally announced, but it’s an understanding that whenever he fights, there’s going to be peace.”

When asked if she thinks that Pacquiao will win his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday, Yim says, “Yes, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll still have won again the hearts and minds of his fans and country.”

See more of J.P. Yim’s work on her Web site

Read more on Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather:

Manny Pacquiao has won so much, some wonder what he might have lost

Is Floyd Mayweather boring? Only when he’s inside the boxing ring

Mayweather-Pacquiao: Freddie Roach has a plan for Manny Pacquiao to win Saturday

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