Emmanuel “Jimuel” Pacquiao Jr., eldest son of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, claimed his first professional boxing victory on Saturday (Philippine time), stopping American Darrick Gates in the second round of their lightweight bout at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California.
The 25-year-old Filipino fighter opened cautiously in the first round but found his rhythm in the second, landing a powerful body shot that sent Gates, 36, to his knees. Although Gates rose before the 10-count, another well-placed midsection punch forced the referee to halt the fight, giving Pacquiao Jr. a technical knockout.
With the win, Pacquiao Jr. improved his professional record to 1-0-1, including one knockout, while Gates remains winless at 0-2. His debut last November against Brendan Lally ended in a majority draw.
“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders. I learned so much in my first fight that I was able to implement into my training camp and tonight,” Pacquiao Jr. said after the fight.
Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao were in attendance, supporting their son, with Manny sharing clips of himself practicing punches on social media.
The bout was part of the undercard for the IBF minimumweight title fight between Pedro Taduran and Gustavo Perez Alvarez.
