However, challenging for world titles is by no means a new experience for the \u2018Pac-Man\u2019. <\/p>\n
Being just 19 years old when he first became a world champion<\/a> in 1998, 27 years later Pacquiao will once again aim to dethrone a world champion. <\/p>\n Years before fighting for world titles, Pacquiao was still trying to make some money from fighting. <\/p>\n Although Pacquiao went on to become one of boxing\u2019s most notable names, it is well documented that the Filipino fighter came from humble beginnings. <\/p>\n Speaking to Andre Ward<\/a> in association with All The Smoke Fight, Pacquiao recalled competing in boxing competitions in his local park. <\/p>\n Ward said to Pacquiao, \u201cI remember the story about you being 12 years old, and doing street fighting in General Santos City, for low money, just a few pesos.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacquiao replied to say, \u201cI was almost 12 years old around that time. There was a boxing match every Sunday in the park, which is a program of the government.\u201d<\/p>\n The multi-weight world champion said that when he heard there was prize money involved in the boxing in the park, he became interested. <\/p>\n Pacquiao then added, \u201cThe prize money, do you know how much the prize money [was]? Like, when you lost, [you got] $1. When you win, [you got] $2.\u201d<\/p>\n The fighter then went on to say that he wasn\u2019t familiar with boxing at all, to the point where he was told he wasn\u2019t allowed to kick.<\/p>\n The motivation for competing was to contribute some money to his household. \u201cI just want to earn money so that when I go back home to my mom, I have money to buy food.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacquiao said that he won the boxing match, earning $2 in the process. \u201cI got $2, but, you know, that\u2019s 100 pesos in the Philippines. So that\u2019s big because, you can buy one kilo of rice for 620 pesos, so you can buy more kilos of rice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Manny Pacquiao went on to earn $120 million in Floyd Mayweather fight <\/p>\n Despite earning just $2 for his fight as a youth, Pacquiao would go on to earn major paydays as a professional boxer. <\/p>\n In May 2015, Pacquiao would compete in the highest-profile fight of his career. Taking on Floyd Mayweather<\/a> in Las Vegas, the pair competed in one of the most anticipated boxing matches of all time. <\/p>\n![\"Manny](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-132639183-1024x682.jpg\")
Photo by Harry How\/Getty ImagesManny Pacquiao talks about the low prize money he fought for as a child<\/p>\n