By Ponciano Melo Jr.
CALIFORNIA, USA — It runs in the blood.
Manny Pacquiao will be headlining one of the biggest fight nights of the year as he clashes with undefeated American foe Keith Thurman Jr. at the MGM Grand Las Vegas on July the 20th.
But before we see another titular affair from the Pacman, now 40-years-old and still looking sharp, another Pacquiao has traced his father’s footsteps, and who knows, maybe even outgrow his father’s enormous shadow.
Jimuel Pacquiao, eldest son of the Pacman is now undefeated after hurdling a litmus test in Darel Marquez, but was good enough to come out with a victory after three rounds at the RNJ Gym in Muntinlupa recently.
Mommy Dionisia was there to support the younger Pacquiao whose father is here in the United States to finish a six-week training camp heading into the July 20 card.
The unanimous decision win is a definite boost to the aspiring boxer who fought, and won, all his fights in 2019.
“I trained for this. I can take the shots. But I need to work harder,” he said in an interview with Dyan Castillejo.
Could we be seeing another Pacquiao dominate the boxing scene in the near future?
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If you ask the legend himself, Manny is the first to dial down the hype, and says he even tries to discourage his firs born son in taking up the gloves.
But the eight-division world champion admits he can only do so much.
“That’s what he wants. We already advised him that boxing is so difficult, hard. You have to undergo hard work, training, discipline,” Pacquiao told Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.
“We discouraged him. (I told him) ‘I think you have to go to school, manage the business that we have,” he added.
Pacquiao, whose storied career involved enduring hardships early in his career, did not want the same fate for his son.
“(Jimuel) said, ‘What I’m gonna do? Boxing is my passion?’” Pacquiao recalled. “I said, ‘That’s my line.’”
Indeed, boxing is a familial affair for the Pacquiaos, and us fans won’t regret ever seeing another one like Manny grace the squared circle.
More importantly if its his own flesh and blood.