Pacquiao a legendary gentleman -- Examiner

By Brad Cooney, Examiner.com

It's one thing to become a legendary status in any category. With Manny Pacquiao, he's become a legend in boxing. That's a wonderful accomplishment, but do you know what's even more impressive? Manny Pacquiao is also a legendary gentleman. The pound for pound boxing king has given back to a lot of people throught his illustrious boxing career.

Pacquiao has done everything from building schools and clinics, to giving money and feeding the hungry. Now he's an elected official in the Philippines, so we will see what he can do for the people that he will be representing. If it's anything remotely close to how he has treated people thus far, his constituents will be very lucky.

When I was with Pacquiao during his training camp for Joshua Clottey, he did something that touched my heart as well as all of those who witnessed it. There was a day when Manny was exiting the restaurant by the Wild Card gym. He was heading toward his car navigating through the crowd, and he saw a Filipino fan in a wheelchair. The fan had what appeared to me as either Cerebral Palsy, or perhaps MS. Manny immediately stopped, walked up to the fan and gave him a hug. The champ then took his fist and gently put it to the chin of the fan, and told him, "I will get a knockout for you."

Pacquiao has remained humble throughout his incredible journey. His fans are very important to him, and staying grounded is as well. Earlier in the year while at the dinner table with Pacquiao I was watching him sign hundreds of autographs, all the while he was trying to eat his supper. Manny looked up at me and said, "Brad Cooney, this is my life" and he smiled and kept on signing.

Every single Mississippian that I have ever spoken to, fan or no fan of Manny all respect him. With each of Manny's fights, I travel the Jackson, Mississippi sports bar scene and get the fans thoughts. Both fans and fighters all respect Manny Pacquiao for both his inside of the ring accomplishments, and his outside of the ring accomplishments. I covered Shawn Porter's last fight up in Tunica, Mississippi. Porter, a former sparring partner of Pacquiao's, said that he would "never forget the experience training with Manny. It was an amazing experience."

What we have here in Manny Pacquiao is a guy that has risen from nothing to the top. He's a legend in boxing, and a legendary gentleman. He will go down in history as both a sports icon, and as a man who kept his feet on the ground, and gave back to his people.

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Source: examiner.com