Manny Pacquiao, known affectionately in the ring as ‘Pacman’, is one of the biggest names in boxing. A world champion, the 36-year-old Filipino is the first and only eight-division world champion, and according to Forbes, the 2nd-highest paid athlete in the world, as of 2015.
A tremendous presence in the ring, and on social media, with 2.6 million followers on Instagram and nearly 10 million followers on Facebook, Pacquiao is also known for his devout religious beliefs. A born-again Christian, he often quotes the Bible to accompany his posts, and is also a staunch supporter of the State of Israel. He even named his son, born in 2014, ‘Israel.’
The Times of Israel reported earlier this year, in anticipation of his highly-contested fight against Floyd Mayweather, that Pacquiao has a mezuzah hanging on every door in his house. “I never had a fighter put a mezuzah up,” said promoter Bob Arum to Israeli journalist Elie Seckbach. In a YouTube video, Seckbach said that the boxer even told him “boker tov” (good morning) and “Baruch HaShem” (God bless) before stating his support for Israel.
According to Arum, Pacquiao has been to Israel three times. Now, we can up that number to four.
Hours ago, Pacman and his wife, Jinkee, arrived in Israel, following their tour of Greece, where they visited Mount Lycabettus in Athens and other historical sites. At 8 a.m. EST, Pacquiao posted a photo of him boarding a bus with the caption, “Hello, Israel!”
He also posted a photo of what appears to be him feeding a dog some potato chips.
I believe that unity can be done if all the people know more about God and be closer to God specially to all the leaders of this country because only God can restore everything and thats what people overlooked. Matthew 6:33 NIV [33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Thank you everyone. A photo posted by Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) on
Jinkee Pacquiao has also been sharing photos of their trip online, including their Middle Eastern spread from a meal in Tel Aviv, a view of the city from their hotel suite, the beach, and the hotel itself.
The amazing view from our room. ?❤️?? #cityoftelaviv #moderncity #israeltour#walkthroughthebible#❤️????? A photo posted by jinkeepacquiao (@jinkeepacquiao) on
Meanwhile, Pacquiao awaits to discover who his next opponent will be in the ring. Rumours have been floating around that it could be a rematch against Floyd Mayweather, though Mayweather has refuted those claims as being “all bull.”