Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao considered taking his own life, he revealed in an interview with Toni Gonzaga.
The four-time welterweight champion opened up about his previous mental health struggles just one day after announcing his bid for the 2022 Philippines presidency.
Pacquiao, 42, is a self-proclaimed Christian and said he once considered suicide due to habits he struggled with in the past that went against his faith.
“I was reading this book called ‘[The] Purpose-Driven Life’ and I would read the Bible too,” Pacquiao said. “I felt like ending my life at that moment because I was repenting for my sins. I was alone in my room and I was crying uncontrollably. I asked myself what I should do. ‘Lord am I not worthy?’ If I could just turn back time and undo all I’ve done against you.”
Pacquiao admitted he struggled with addiction to alcohol, gambling, and even called himself a womanizer. But his devotion to religion helped him recover from those habits and find acceptance with himself.
“I felt small. I was on my knees, face to the ground, while I was alone,” Pacquiao said. “When I hear the word of God I feel so happy.”
Pacquiao’s troubled past dates back to his childhood in Kibawe, Philippines, where he lived in poverty as his family was regarded as the poorest in the entire town. He often only ate once a day, was exposed to family dysfunction and often got into fistfights with locals in the streets, according to his excerpts from his autobiography “Pacman: My Story of Hope, Resilience, and Never-Say-Never Determination.”
At the age of 16, Pacquiao left his family and boarded a ship to Manila to train as a boxer and launch a career in the sport.
Pacquiao became the only man to win world titles in eight different divisions.
However, now he’s seemingly turned his full attention to his political career and running for president of his country.
“My boxing career is already over,” he told Gonzaga. “It’s done because I’ve been boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough. I just continued because I’m passionate about this sport. I will just support other boxers for us to have a champion again.”
Pacquiao’s last fight ended in a defeat to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision in August.
