"Reunited and happy."
This was Jinkee Pacquiao's reaction to her reunion with son Emmanuel Pacquiao Jr., nicknamed Jimuel, in the U.S.
Jimuel currently resides in Los Angeles, California, as he continues training for boxing — a sport he picked up from his father, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Jinkee proudly posted photos of their get-together on Instagram, showing the mother and son enjoying their time together, including a photo taken inside a restaurant.
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Jinkee also uploaded a video clip of the two walking together outdoors and chatting.
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Joining Jinkee for the trip were her twin sister Janet Jamora and a few family members and friends.
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JIMUEL'S BOXING CAREER
Jimuel is Manny and Jinkee's eldest child and was born on February 6, 2001.
Reports of Jimuel wanting to follow in his father's footsteps came out in 2018 to mixed reactions.
To some, Jimuel's path to making a name in boxing will be rocky as he will always live in the shadow of his famous father.
Manny won eight division titles during his reign and is considered among the greatest boxers to step on the ring in his generation, and arguably of all time.
Both Manny and Jinkee expressed misgivings about Jimuel's chosen career, knowing firsthand the struggles and dangers inherent to the sport.
Read: Manny Pacquiao shuts down breakup rumor with wife Jinkee: “Mamatay kayo sa inggit.”
Manny went on record to say that it "pains" him to see his son take on a brutal sport.
Manny candidly told his son that poverty was the only reason why he was drawn to boxing, something that Jimuel did not experience growing up.
Living a comfortable life, unlike his father, affords Jimuel the freedom to choose a career not related to the hurt business — a term often used about sports like boxing, where athletes must inflict physical pain on their opponents.
Meanwhile, Jinkee reportedly cried after learning about Jimuel's decision to become a boxer and tried to persuade his son to change his mind to no avail.
Before focusing on boxing, Jimuel appeared headed to pursue show business after being launched in 2021 as part of the Squad Plus of ABS-CBN's Star Magic alongside Sam Cruz, KD Estrada, Nio Tria, Danica Ontengco, Analain Salvador, Angela Ken, and Keann Johnson.
Jimuel was once romantically linked to actress Heaven Peralejo.
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Jimuel made his ring debut as an amateur boxer on March 12, 2022, in San Diego, California.
He won by decision after outpunching Mexican-American Andres Rosales in a three-round junior welterweight fight.
Read: Emmanuel Pacquiao Jr., panganay ni Pacman, wagi sa second boxing fight
Read: Jimuel Pacquiao, nakatikim ng talo sa amateur boxing sa U.S.
Jimuel punched his way to his seventh win last February 5, 2023, in Las Vegas, USA, by winning against a much larger opponent in American boxer Marco Rosales.
An elated Manny took to Instagram to congratulate his son for his latest victory.
"We are so proud of you," Manny wrote as a caption to his post.
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