Manny Pacquiao 'ran away from home because his dad ate his dog'

As the ‘fight of the century’ between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather draws nearer, trainer Freddie Roach has revealed a shocking truth about the Filipino’s childhood.

Pacquiao’s tough upbringing saw the Filipino star living on the streets before he turned pro at the age of just 14 in an attempt to escape from poverty.

Pacquiao’s trainer Roach described the lengths the 36-year-old used to go to just to survive in the shantytown he lived in.

"He lived on the street, where he bought doughnuts at a doughnut store and then sold each one for a nickel more to survive.

"He slept in a cardboard box. He fought his way through all this, turned pro at 14, and look at the man he is today.

"The Philippines is a poor place, there's no welfare, no health system and if you don't have a job or money then you do anything to survive."

And Roach also explained the horrifying reason why Pacquiao was homeless in the first place, saying: "Manny ran away from home after his father ate his dog."

MORE: Pacquiao readies 'killer instinct' for Mayweather
MORE: Revealed: How Mayweather v Pacquiao happened

Pacquiao is now regarded as a hero in the Philippines and it is widely expected that he will run for president when he retires from boxing.

"It's just unbelievable," Roach added. "I went to his birthday party, the President of the Philippines was there, there were 5,000 people at the party, and 10,000 outside who couldn't get in. He's an icon, because he represents the hopes of so many people."

"When he fights, there is no crime in the Philippines, because everyone is watching him box. He has come such a long way. He wants to go into politics, he's going to college right now and after two more years of boxing he will go into politics."

More from World of Sport