(Reuters) – Manny Pacquiao, one of the most decorated fighters in world boxing, announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday to concentrate on a run for the presidency in the Philippines.

Here are some facts about Pacquiao.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

– Pacquiao was born in 1978 in Kibawe in the southern province of Bukidnon. Pacquiao was one of six children born to a single parent family. He grew up in a shack. He quit school at 10. His name was Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao. He’s also known by “Pambansang Kamao (The National Fist) in boxing.

A relative introduced him to boxing at the young age of 12. He took part in street fights, where the winner was awarded 100 pesos ($1.97), and the loser 50 pesos. In 2015 https://, he mentioned that even though you may lose, he had heard of the benefits of boxing.

He was 14 years old when he became a stowaway aboard a boat to Manila. There he lived in the streets, did construction work to make money and sent home.

He was a talented boxer and became a professional at the age of 16. His bouts on TV made him a household name among Filipinos.

CAREER TAKES OFF

– He won his first major title in 1998, age 19, with his World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight title knockout of Thai Chatchai Sasakul, in Thailand, a title he retained five months later against Mexican Gabriel Mira.

Pacquiao was born on his 21st Birthday. In the following 17 months, he won five defenses of the WBC international super-bantamweight title.

He added the International Boxing Federation’s super bantamweight title to his United States debut in June 2001 at Paradise (Nevada), which was also the location for many of his fights over the next two decades. Pacquiao was only ever in the Philippines for four fights over the 20-year period.

Pacquiao has been widely recognized for his quick footwork and blistering punches. He is also widely considered to be one of top offensive fighters throughout the history of boxing.

Many consider Pacquiao to be the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time, having won eight world championships in different weight categories. Bert Sugar, a late boxing historian, regarded Pacquiao as the greatest southpaw. He was a left-handed fighter who leads with his right. Veteran promoter Bob Arum in 2010 said he was unmatched, and rated him better than Muhammad Ali https://reut.rs/3okAUyR. Arum stated to Reuters that his left and right hands hit with equal power. That is why he destroys his rivals.

POLITICS AND MONEY

– Pacquiao had a net worth of 3.2 billion pesos ($63 million) at the end of 2020, according to his statement of assets and liabilities. He still holds the record for most-sold pay-per-view fights in boxing history. His bout with Floyd Mayweather was a $410m grossing affair. 20 million people have purchased his 24 PPV matches.

Pacquiao has managed his boxing career alongside one in domestic politics. He is often absent while training for fights. He was elected to Congress in 2010 at his second attempt, and he was again elected three years later despite one of the lowest attendance records.

2016: Pacquiao was elected to the Senate. He co-authored the bill that would repeal the death penalty. In addition, Pacquiao backed Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs. This campaign, which the international community condemned for the deaths of thousands of predominantly urban Filipinos, won him a higher-profile seat.

– In a 2016 interview with Reuters https://reut.rs/39KouHU, Pacquiao admitted to having as a youth experimented for years with “all kinds of drugs”.

– He landed himself in hot water during campaigning for the senate, when he said gay couples were “worse than animals”, resulting in sports giant Nike (NYSE:) terminating its contract https://reut.rs/3kPzESa with him, despite Pacquiao apologising for the remark, which saw his opinion poll rating https://reut.rs/2WmoBq4 drop.

– Pacquiao this month announced he would run for the presidency https://reut.rs/3AQTSQL a move analysts say could be his toughest fight yet https://reut.rs/2WjPquV.