PHILIPPINES - Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao says he has given up gambling, cockfighting and other vices to become a goodwill ambassador for the Catholic church.

Pacquiao, one of the richest men in the Philippines and a national icon, also announced that he had sold his shares in a Manila casino, and in a nightclub and a bar, while also giving away to friends all his fighting cocks.

"I am no longer in the vice business. I've sold my shares in a big nightclub along with my shares in a Manila casino outlet," the 32-year-old, the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, told reporters in a recent interview.

"I do realise I was a weak person before. If I had died the other year, I believe my soul would have ended in hell," he said.

"I had faith, but I was doing things which were against the will of God."

Aides said the eight-time world champion had owned more than a thousand roosters for cockfights, a blood sport where the birds fight to the death armed with sharp metal spurs.

His remaining past time now is basketball, said Pacquiao, who is also a member of parliament.

Regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history, amassing a 54-3 win-loss record with two drawn bouts, Pacquiao holds a record eight world titles in as many weight divisions.

He often cites God as the source of his ongoing success and wears a rosary around his neck before and after fights.