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Manny Pacquiao is no stranger to winning. He’s won every single fight since 2005, and 51 out of 56 matches in his career overall. All that winning got him seven world titles. Now, he can add another: Congressman. On May 10 early results show Pacquiao gliding to a surprisingly easy victory and earning the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world a seat in the Philippine Congress. As he told the Los Angeles Times after hearing of his imminent landslide victory: “We hit them with an atomic bomb.”
Between Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and perhaps soon Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao has faced some tough competition in his time. But perhaps none were more challenging than his latest opponent: Roy Chiongbian. Chiongbian is from a wealthy, powerful political family and his brother had held the seat for the past nine years. Though Chiongbian criticized the “Pacman” prior to the election — calling Pacquiao out on his lack of experience in politics — Filipinos saw it differently. One man, Reynaldo Junas told the AP, “Let us try someone who has not yet been in power. If he doesn’t perform, he won’t get re-elected.”