
Manny Pacquiao was a nervous wreck as he watched one of his kids debut in boxing.
The boxing legend’s 24-year-old son fought fellow debutant Brendan Lally, an English teacher and former collegiate boxing champion at the University of Illinois, in a four-round lightweight contest on Saturday night.
Manny Pacquiao Jr., who is commonly known as Jimuel, entered the bout with a 6-4 amateur record.
Lally seemed to have recorded a shocking upset victory after 12 minutes of action. Instead, he had to settle for a majority draw, as one judge saw it 39-37 for Pacquiao, while the other two ringside officials scored the fight 38-38.
Manny Pacquiao and his son spoke with reporters backstage after the debut draw in California.
The former eight-weight world champion was proud of Jimuel’s performance, but insisted he would need to play a bigger role in camp if a second professional fight is going to happen.
“It’s the plan,” Pacquiao said when asked if his son would ever box again.
“I want to make sure that, if he fights again, I’m gonna supervise his training.
“He can fight again, but I have to make sure I’m supervising his training.
“I don’t want that to happen again.
“He needs to improve his instincts and focus on his opponent in the fight.”
Let us know in the comments.
Manny Pacquiao wants to make more history by becoming the oldest welterweight titleholder of all time.
The 46-year-old came close to realizing that dream when he fought Mario Barrios in July.
Ultimately, their fight was controversially scored a majority draw, and Pacquiao walked away empty-handed.
If he is unable to get a 147lb title shot, Pacquiao could end up having a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.
Talks for that fight are believed to be ongoing, but everything is up in the air as we approach 2026.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!