Manny Pacquiao, Metta World Peace

On March 23, 2019, MP Promotions and Ringstar Asia held their first co-promoted boxing event titled “Rising Stars” at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Among the special guests during the boxing event were Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Sr., 40, and Metta World Peace, 39, who was formerly known as Ron Artest.

MP Promotions is owned by Pacquiao while Ringstar Asia is founded by Scott Patrick Farrell, 47. A good friend of Pacquiao, World Peace arrived at “Rising Stars” with his son Jeron Artest, 18.

Jeron’s mother Jennifer Uy Palma, 36, is a Filipino. She was high school classmates in New York, United States with World Peace, who also has three children with his former wife Kimsha Hatfield, 38, namely Sadie Artest, 22, Ron Artest III,19, and Diamond Artest, 16.

World Peace is in the Philippines to watch Jeron compete in the 2019 National Basketball Training Center (NTBC) Nationals with FilAm Sports. While the former NBA player’s son has received multiple scholarship offers from St. John’s, Stanford, University of California at Berkeley, Princeton, and Yale, he is also considering joining the Philippine national basketball team.

“My son is so proud to be Filipino,” the Philippine Inquirer quoted World Peace as saying. “He loves his Lola Winnie and he’s just extremely proud and I’m proud of him for not forgetting where he came from. That’s my son. I love him to death and he’s so proud.”

Like World Peace, Pacquiao is also a proud father. On February 5, 2019, the Filipino boxing legend’s eldest son Emmanuel “Jimuel” Pacquiao, Jr., 18, made his amateur boxing debut in a two-round match against Lucas Carson, which ended in a draw and was watched by a small crowd of family and friends in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila.

Pacquiao watched “Rising Stars” with his family, as well. He was accompanied by his wife Jinkee Pacquiao, 40, and their children Jimuel, Michael Stephen Pacquiao, 17, Mary Divine Grace Pacquiao, 13, Queen Elizabeth Pacquiao, 11, and Israel Pacquiao, 4.

“Rising Stars” featured 11 professional boxing bouts. Both the co-main event and the main event ended via unanimous decision after 12 three-minute rounds.

Here is a clip featuring Manny and World Peace at the “Rising Stars” boxing event: