UNDERSTANDING PACQUIAO'S RETURN THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS

WHEN news broke of former senator Manny Pacquiao's decision to return to the boxing ring, reactions from the public were swift and divided. Some dismissed it as a play for prize money. Others saw it as a final grasp at legacy. But what if these familiar frames miss a deeper truth?

Not long before he declared his presidential bid in 2021, I was invited to Pacquiao's residence.

Though we were not personally close, I was eager to meet the "real" him: not the senator, but the legendary athlete who rose from poverty to global renown.

Anticipating questions around his qualifications and preparedness for the presidency, at that time, I came ready with an idea I thought might help frame the conversation differently: Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

Gardner challenges the old notion that intelligence is a single, measurable factor, like an IQ score. Instead, he proposes that people possess several types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Each person has a unique combination of these intelligences, which develop in different ways. Some are born poets, others inventors, or, in Pacquiao's case, a rare fusion of athlete, performer and public servant, all in one.

Among these, it is his bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that stands out. He doesn't merely "know" boxing; he embodies it. His mastery of timing, movement, rhythm and control is a form of brilliance often overlooked in societies that prize academic and verbal fluency above all else. For someone like Pacquiao, the ring is not just a profession; it is a language, a calling, even a sanctuary.

Viewed this way, his return to boxing cannot be reduced to being "merely" about money or legacy. It is a return to the core intelligence that had shaped his entire life. The ring is where his body and mind move as one, where instinct, discipline and spirit come together not in words, but in every deliberate move and powerful blow that has brought down countless opponents.

But there's more. Intrapersonal intelligence, or the ability to understand oneself, may also explain his decision. Politics is an entirely different arena, filled with ambiguity, shifting loyalties and compromise. Perhaps the ring offers something politics does not: clarity, fairness and a sense of control. There are no backroom deals between the ropes, only the truth of preparation, grit and performance. In the ring, outcomes are earned, not negotiated.

Pacquiao also exhibits high interpersonal intelligence, seen in his enduring rapport with the masses. He knows how to inspire, how to connect. He may believe that his most powerful bond with the public is forged not at the podium, but in the squared circle, where struggle is visible, and triumph is gained in real time.

Pacquiao's decision is not without precedent. George Foreman, who retired in 1977, returned a decade later to reclaim the heavyweight crown at age 45, not for money, but to prove that strength and dignity don't fade with age. Vitali Klitschko stepped back into the ring after retirement, driven by unfinished business. Sugar Ray Leonard came back multiple times, seeking not just victory but answers to inner questions. Even Muhammad Ali, sidelined for over three years due to his political stand, returned not only to fight but to reaffirm his identity as a symbol of conviction.

Like Pacquiao, these men weren't just revisiting a sport they excelled in; they were returning to a crucial piece of themselves.

Critics will argue that there is a time to walk away. That age, risk and the weight of national expectations should bring closure. And perhaps they are right. But to understand Pacquiao's return solely through the lens of cash or legacy is to miss the larger picture. For some, their highest form of intelligence is exercised in boardrooms or lecture halls. For Pacquiao, it remains in motion: in the rhythm of the jab, the arc of the uppercut, the poetry of combat.

In Gardner's world, there is no single path to fulfillment. There are many kinds of brilliance, each deserving of recognition. For Manny Pacquiao, the ring is not just a place of glory or risk; it is the stage where his unique intelligence still finds voice. Perhaps his return is not a retreat, but a reaffirmation of who he has always been.

As Gardner said, "It's not how smart you are that matters, what really counts is how you are smart."

2025-06-09T16:24:14Z