Manny Pacquiao aims to inspire in and out of the ring

Manny Pacquiao has spoken about his desire to inspire people in and out of the ring.

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao at the Brisbane press conference this week to promote his bout against Jeff Horn.

Manny Pacquiao, arguably the greatest fighter of his generation, leans forward in his leather chair as he picks at a plate of chicken, rice and toast. A bus waits ­downstairs to take the WBO welterweight champion and his entourage to the airport and a flight to Melbourne for the latest round of media interviews in the lead-up to his July 2 bout against Brisbane schoolteacher Jeff Horn.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is in no rush as he begins to discuss the ­pitfalls of fame and how even now, in the twilight of his career, ­privacy eludes him around the world. Pacquiao has tried to find solitude.

He rattles off the countries. Italy, France, Indonesia, even Cambodia, where the President himself has been known to wager on the outcome of his fights. ­Pacquiao arrived expecting ­anonymity but ultimately found it more elusive than any of his 67 ­opponents.

When he flew into Brisbane earlier this week, perhaps naively, he thought no one would recognise him. He turned up at a PR shoot to be greeted by more than 2000 Queenslanders desperate to get an audience with the 39-year-old, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters of his generation.

Even Horn’s family sought him out for introduction. He once caused a pile-up outside the White House on the way to meet Barack Obama. In his home town, he doesn’t dare walk the streets without a flotilla of security.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar once talked about ­driving his car in the middle of the night to avoid attention, such was the pandemonium caused ­when­ever he appeared in public. ­Pacquiao can empathise.

“I miss that,” he tells The ­Weekend Australian. “I want to walk around and nobody come up to me. I went to many countries ­trying to do that. In Indonesia, first time I visited, I thought nobody would recognise me.

“In the airport at immigration, I was stopped for three hours. The immigration people left their post so they could take a picture. The people waiting were holding their passports. When I went outside, we contacted police so they could escort us.”

Pacquiao has been burning the publicity trail this week, drumming up interest in the bout against Horn at Suncorp Stadium. He has been adopted by NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley and midway through this interview, Duco Events executive Jim ­Banaghan interrupts to present Pacquiao with a Sydney Kings ­jersey, a gift from the team in case he wanted to play basketball while on his fleeting trip to Australia.

He has been to Sydney before, eight years ago on a brief family holiday. He remembers the ­Sydney Opera House and visiting the casino. “That was when I was still a gambler,” he says.

Gambling is a thing of the past but boxing remains an integral part of his life, fighting for time with his political aspirations and his philanthropic endeavours.

“I keep fighting because that is my desire and part of my life,” he says in a gentle voice. “Boxing is my passion. That’s why I keep going. The legacy is already there. I love it. My body wants to exercise every day.

“I am still strong and my body is fine. So thank God for keeping my body healthy. I still enjoy ­boxing. I really love it. I enjoy the competition. When I declared ­retirement, watching the fights on TV, other fights, big fights, I felt sad and lonely.

“I felt sad because I was thinking about the sport I love and I was no longer active. I was the one fighting, people cheering me and bringing honour to my country.”

Pacquiao’s retirement early last year was short-lived. He returned last November with a comprehensive win over American Jessie Vargas, taking the WBO title in the process.

Waiting in the wings was Horn, whose quiet and humble ways make he and Pacquiao kindred spirits. Pacquiao initially chased a big-money bout in the UAE against Englishman Amir Khan. When the cash didn’t crystallise, he returned to Horn, undefeated in 17 fights but certain to head into the bout as a massive underdog against an opponent who has only lost only six times during a professional career spanning more than two decades, the last defeat against Floyd Mayweather in a bout that generated more than $US600 million in gross revenue.

Pacquiao grossed an estimated $US120m for that fight. His career earnings are estimated to be more than $US500m, his all-action style making him not only one of the most successful boxers of his time, but also one of the most ­watchable.

His more recent bouts have added another layer of intrigue. Pacquiao has revealed he has had premonitions about their outcomes in the days prior.

They started with the last of his three fights against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, when he dreamt one of the two would lose by stoppage. It ended up being Pacquiao, who remains one of the sport’s most feared fighters but hasn’t stopped an opponent since battering Miguel Cotto in 2009.

He is yet to foresee the outcome of the Horn fight but insists he will share the premonition if and when it comes.

“I am just confident that the Lord is telling me ahead of time,” Pacquaio says. “Jeff Horn is a nice guy. He is a friendly guy and a very respectful person. But he is ­competitive. His competitiveness in the ring is why I chose him. This is my first title defence since I ­captured the belt last November.

“I don’t predict my fights because I don’t like boasting or trash talk. I will do my best by God’s grace. My concern is to make the people happy, the fans. I don’t like fighters being arrogant or boastful. I don’t like trash talking. It is unschooled, not educated.”

Pacquiao’s reluctance to embrace the hyperbole stems from the most the humble of backgrounds. Radio giant Alan Jones, who hosted this week’s media engagements, recalled the story of Pacquiao’s family in the southern Philippines being so poor that he didn’t see a television until the age of 10, nor set foot in a town or city.

He and his family, which included five brothers and sisters, lived in a single-room shack. Pacquiao dropped out of school at 12 and took up boxing after being inspired by James “Buster” Douglas’s upset win over Mike Tyson in 1990. At the age of 15, he stowed away on a boat in pursuit of riches and fame, and even slept on the streets. Pacquiao sat impassively while Jones recalled his tale, jotting notes on a piece of paper and only raising his head when it was time to take the lectern.

From those humble beginnings, he has become a political heavyweight in The Philippines. Many say he will one day lead his country. For the moment, he has a fight to win and people to inspire.

“I didn’t finish college,” he says. “I am continuing it this year — I am studying. I want to study and get a law degree. What I want to try to show the people is to inspire them. The most important thing to me is not to inspire them with my talent, but to inspire them with my life story, my experience in life.

“You can’t teach your children bad inspiration. We teach them to live the right way of life. People are the same, whether the are Filipino or other. I am a Christian and I do what God wants me to do.”