Legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao shares the best advice he gave his 21-year-old son, who is following his father into the ring

• Manny Pacquiao isn't the only fighter in his family.

• Emmanuel "Jimuel" Pacquiao Jr. has been competing in amateur boxing bouts this year.

• If and when Jimuel turns pro, Pacquiao himself wants to be the one to train him.

Manny Pacquiao, 43, is not the only fighter in his family, as one of his five children, 21-year-old Emmanuel Pacquiao Jr., has been boxing.

His son, often called "Jimuel," is a mainstay at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Los Angeles — the American gym where Pacquiao himself used to train for the sport's biggest bouts.

Jimuel has even been seen on video learning from one of boxing's most famous coaches, Eddy Reynoso, who guided Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to prominence.

Insider spoke to Pacquiao ahead of his return to the ring in an exhibition match Saturday against martial artist DK Yoo in South Korea.

We asked him about Jimuel, and how he's been faring in the fight game.

"My son, Manny Pacquiao Jr., he stayed in LA since my last fight until now. He didn't come back to the Philippines because he wanted his boxing career," he said. "So he's living in LA right now, and continuing to fight."

If Jimuel turns pro, Pacquiao wants to be the one who trains him

Insider asked what's the best advice he's been able to give his son, having dedicated himself to the sport since the 1990s.

"He wants to follow in my footsteps, but I told him that boxing is not that easy," Pacquiao said. "It's not just a workout. It's about hard work and punishment."

It's a message that Jimuel began to understand himself as the months rolled by.

"When I spoke to him the last time, he told me that boxing is not easy," Pacquiao said. "I told him that if you decide to turn pro then I have to step in and train him and watch his training. As a professional boxer I want to teach him my knowledge about professional boxing."

Jimuel broke into the scene after a viral video three years ago

It remains unclear whether Jimuel will leave the amateur scene to take up a career in pro boxing.

However, he developed a name for himself as early as 2019, when he scored a knockdown in a viral sparring session.

Earlier this year, Jimuel won his first amateur fight early in March but suffered a defeat later in June.

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