Jimuel Pacquiao finally stepped into the paid ranks in California, carrying all the weight that comes with being the eldest son of Manny Pacquiao. And it wasn’t some quiet backroom affair either. ESPN Knockout streamed the four-round lightweight fight, throwing the kid straight into the noise against Brendan Lally, a high-school teacher making his own debut. Strange pairing, sure, but that’s exactly why nobody looked away. Two rookies, two mad backstories, one televised debut. Proper curiosity fuel.
Manny himself stood ringside before the opening bell, whispering whatever father-to-fighter wisdom he could. Once the bell rang, though, Jimuel was on his own. No slow start. No testing range. Both lads just tore into each other straight away. Sloppy, chaotic, entertaining. The second was the same pace, and although Pacquiao looked a touch sharper with the punching, Lally stayed stubborn and refused to back up. It wasn’t easy to figure who was edging things.
Who Actually Looked Like the Better Prospect?
The third round swung toward Lally. He chased Jimuel around, fired away, and landed plenty, though the young Pacquiao got his own shots home too. The fourth saw both empty the tank. Lally marched forward again, while Jimuel tried countering off the ropes. Hard fight to call, and the judges bottled it the diplomatic way: a draw.
After the final bell, Manny Pacquiao told ESPN: “I’m very proud of my son… fighting is not easy… my plan is to have him fight on my undercard so I can train with him throughout the whole camp.”
He added: “It’s not the ideal outcome… but I know he can do better and he will do better.”
Jimuel kept it honest:
“Next time I fight, I’m going to push the pace much harder… Fighting as an amateur is a different experience… I only had ten amateur fights, so this was a huge step up.”
On the sold-out debut:
“It made me nervous… During my ring walk, all I could think about was how many people were here… I’m going to be more prepared next time.”
Lally was buzzing from his side:
“This was the opportunity of a lifetime… I got a draw against Pacquiao.”
He added: “The uppercut in the second clipped me and I went ‘woah.’ Other than that, I felt great.”
What Does This Draw Really Mean For Pacquiao?
Jimuel wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t screaming “future superstar” either. And that’s fine. He’s green. Only ten amateur fights. Thrown in quick. He tightened up when the crowd started roaring, and you could see him overthinking. Happens to plenty of kids without famous dads, never mind one with Manny flipping Pacquiao in the front row.
Lally? Tough teacher. Not the sort of bloke you want marking your homework after you’ve just nicked him with a counter right. He earned the draw. Honestly, Jimuel should be thanking him for the learning experience.
If Jimuel’s going to push on, he needs controlled aggression, more composure, and far more rounds. The tools are there. But being Manny’s boy means everyone’s watching, judging, and waiting for him to slip. He’ll need thicker skin than most.
Results:
- Lazaro Lorenzana def. Luis Arias (UD, 100-90, 99-91, 98-92) – WBC Regional Middleweight Championship
- Jimuel Pacquiao vs Brendan Lally (Majority Draw, 39-37 Pacquiao, 38-38, 38-38)
- Terry Washington def. Ricardo Astuvilca (UD) – WBC USA Light Flyweight Championship
- Jose Russell def. Saleto Henderson (TKO Round 6)
- Michael Bracamontes def. William King (UD)
- Rodrigo Mosquera III def. Bryan Domingo (UD, 4 Rounds)
- Sheldon Payne def. Adil Gadzhiev (Majority Decision, 4 Rounds)
- Javier Zamarron def. Alejandro Meniano (UD, 8 Rounds)
- Alexis Alvarado def. Garen Diagan (UD)
