Manny “Jimuel” Pacquiao Jr is set to follow in his famous father’s footsteps and become a professional boxer in the very near future.

Manny Pacquiao set the lighter weight classes ablaze from the turn of the millennium onward, as he swashbuckled his way through eight divisions and won titles in every one. He took part in some of the most iconic fights of the modern era, built rivalries with Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Floyd Mayweather, among others, and is now a boxing Hall-of-Famer.

But the Pacquiao legacy may not have finished with his final fight in 2021, when he was beaten so badly by Yordenis Ugas, that he struggled to even open his eyes days later, and his wife, Jinkee, had to help him eat. And it’s all because Jinkee and Manny’s son, Manny Jr, could be a pro boxer, too, according to one of his trainers.

Manny Pacquiao Jr Looks Set to Turn Pro

Manny Jr will follow in his famous father’s footsteps

“Manny Jr. is just training every day just like my other professional fighters,” Marvin Somodo, one of his coaches, told World Boxing News.

Somodo co-trains Manny Jr together with Freddie Roach, who famously helped shape the career of Pacquiao Sr from his Wildcard Boxing Club in downtown Hollywood, in Los Angeles. Manny Jr led an unremarkable amateur career but because of his iconic surname, there would be significant interest in his fights if and when he does turn pro — particularly from the Philippines, which showed extraordinary support to Pacquiao as he grew into a worldwide sporting icon.

For Somodo, it seems somewhat clear that Manny Jr will be getting a pro fight one day soon. “We are hoping to get him a fight soon, but the main thing is improving him at the gym every day.”

“Turning pro in the future is the plan for him, and once I see that he is ready. The plan is for him to become a professional boxer, but you never know.”

He continued: “He is doing really well. His work ethic is really good. You see him every day in the gym and never complain. We spar with world-class fighters, and he does well. His future depends on his performance when he turns pro. I believe he will do well, but only time will tell.”

World Boxing News speculated that Manny Jr could make his debut on the same card that his father may headline as Manny Pacquiao is continually linked with a comeback of his own, against the likes of WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.