Mike Coppinger, an esteemed ESPN Boxing Insider, has been covering boxing since 2010. His extensive experience includes roles at USA Today, Ring Magazine, and The Athletic before joining ESPN in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger.

The Induction of Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most popular fighters ever, was announced to be elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 on Thursday. Pacquiao, the only eight-division champion in boxing history, enters the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The former Filipino senator, who ran for President of the Philippines in 2022, is joined by Michael Nunn and Vinny Paz in the men's modern boxers category.Pacquiao expressed his happiness, stating, "I am so happy that I have been selected to enter the International Boxing Hall of Fame; this certainly is a wonderful Christmas gift. Throughout my career, as a professional fighter and a public servant, it has been my goal to bring honor to my country, The Philippines, and my fellow Filipinos around the world."Induction Weekend takes place from June 5 to 8. Alongside Pacquiao, women's modern boxers Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis, and Mary Jo Sanders were elected, along with Cathy "Cat" Davis in the trailblazer category. In the nonparticipant category, referee Kenny Bayless, cut man Al Gavin, and referee Harry Gibbs were also selected. Former HBO Sports executive Ross Greenburg was elected in the observer category along with Sirius XM Radio's Randy Gordon. Colombia's Rodrigo Valdez, a middleweight champion from 1963 to 1980, was elected in the old-timer category, and Owen Smith was elected as a pioneer.Pacquiao's boxing journey is truly remarkable. He won his first title at 108 pounds and went on to win titles in seven more weight classes, including 154 pounds, through 72 fights. He turned pro at 16 in the Philippines to support his poverty-stricken family, a path that led him to Hollywood, where he collaborated with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.Together, they reached the pinnacle of the sport and remained there for a significant part of two decades. Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) has impressive wins over eight fellow Hall of Famers: Marco Antonio Barrera, Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Erik Morales, and Miguel Cotto. His 2015 fight with Floyd Mayweather shattered business records and set benchmarks that still stand today, including for revenue generated from a single event, gate, and pay-per-view buys.Pacquiao was loved for his humility inside and outside the ring, his unwavering fighting spirit, and his generous charitable efforts for his homeland. His star-making performance was an 11-round destruction of Barrera in 2003. His final significant victory was against Keith Thurman in 2019 at the age of 40.During his career, Pacquiao enjoyed one of boxing's best rivalries through four thrilling fights with Mexico's Marquez. He also had a trilogy with Mexico's Morales; although he went 2-1, the first fight he lost is the most memorable.His whirlwind style, blazing speed, and punishing left hand introduced many to the sport of boxing as he headlined in Las Vegas repeatedly, often in events that generated over 1 million PPV buys. Pacquiao is among the highest earners in boxing history. His last fight was a loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021 (Ugas replaced Errol Spence Jr. on short notice).

Freddie Roach's Perspective

Freddie Roach said in a statement, "I opened my gym, Wild Card Boxing Club, in hopes that the next Muhammad Ali would walk through the door. Little did I know that in 2001, my Muhammad Ali would weigh 122 pounds. His name was Manny Pacquiao, and he was and still is the pride of The Philippines.""For twenty years, after Manny and I first did mitts in the ring at Wild Card, we trained together for some of the biggest fights. As his collection of world championship belts grew, so did his presence in boxing and the world.""Today's announcement that Manny will be a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame's class of 2025 makes me incredibly proud. As much as I loved working together with Manny all those years, I'm even happier sharing the same wall with him at the International Boxing Hall of Fame."

Michael Nunn's Journey

Nunn, 61, was elected to the Hall of Fame nearly 22 years after his final fight. The Davenport, Iowa, native held the IBF middleweight title from 1988 to 1991 and the WBA super middleweight title from 1992 to 1994. He was the lineal champion during both reigns.Nunn's best stretch came in 1989-91 when he defeated Iran Barkley, Marlon Starling, and Hall of Famer Donald Curry in consecutive fights before being stopped by James Toney (also a Hall of Famer). Nunn (58-4, 38 KOs) was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2004 for drug trafficking but was released in 2019.He expressed his excitement, saying, "I've been waiting on this moment for so long. God has truly blessed me. I want to thank the International Boxing Hall of Fame and all the voters. This is the highest achievement a boxer can have in the sport. As a small-town guy from Iowa to reach the highest achievement in boxing makes me proud. This is the crowning moment of my career."

Vinny Paz's Inspiring Comeback

Paz (50-10, 30 KOs) is best known for his remarkable comeback from a spinal injury. He was involved in a head-on collision that led to a dislocated vertebra and two fractured vertebrae in his neck. This comeback became the basis of the 2016 Paz biopic "Bleed for This" starring Miles Teller.Paz held titles at lightweight and junior middleweight. He scored wins over a 43-year-old Roberto Duran in 1994 and 1995. Paz was stopped by the great Roy Jones Jr. in a 1995 title fight. The Rhode Island native's final fight was in 2004.