Floyd or not, Pacman to retire after Nov. 13 bout
Manny Pacquiao wants to be remembered plainly as "Manny Pacquiao" when he retires after his November 13 bout this year.
The seven world division champion has signified his intentions of hanging up his gloves whether or not he faces the undefeated and thrash-talking Floyd Mayweather Jr. in November.
"I don’t want to retire as a washed-up boxer. At the back of my mind, I've already contemplated on retirement as early as last year," said Pacquiao. "I don’t want to retire from the sport at a time when I'm feeling pains on my body."
Expect popular ring announcer Michael Buffer to add "The Fighting Congressman from the Philippines" to Pacquiao’s growing list of monikers in his ring return this year after the People's Champ won a Congressional seat in the lone legislative district of Sarangani, his wife Jinkee's home province. This page requires a higher version browser For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV And Pacquiao could very well be the new "Lord of the Political Ring" in Sarangani as he became the only professional boxer ever elected into public office after the Filipino boxing icon knocked out the Chiongbian political clan.
But nothing is certain yet for the boxing bout every fight fan wants to see since Top Rank's Bob Arum is still negotiating with Richard Schaefer, his counterpart at Golden Boy Promotions.
Negotiations are now on going for the biggest fight ever since Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraizer went at it at the start of their epic trilogy in boxing almost four decades ago.
"I haven't talked yet to Bob. He's the one negotiating with Mayweather's camp," said Pacquiao. "But I'm sure he's doing everything to make the fight to happen. Everyone wants to see this fight."
According to Pacquiao, the blood test won't be an issue anymore as both camps have already agreed on the terms but there are still other details needed to be ironed out – like the fight purse – but the pound-for-pound boxer declined to give specifics. This page requires a higher version browser For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Before giving the go signal for Arum to negotiate with the Mayweathers, Pacquiao needed to overcome one hurdle. Convince his mother, Dionisia, who said that she wants Pacquiao to retire or she'll gatecrash her son's match if he doesn't stop fighting.
Surprisingly, Dionisia, whose popularity grew with her champion son, allowed Pacquiao to climb the ring for the last time announcing it during her 61st birthday celebration on May 15.
Perhaps, "Mommy D." knows best that there's no better fight available left for his son than to mix it up with Mayweather Jr., whose mouth is as fast as his fist when he demolished "Sugar" Shane Mosley recently.
"My mom doesn't want me to fight anymore. But I convinced her, to give me one last fight. (After that) I'm already thinking about retirement," said Pacquiao, who said that he wants his last fight to take place either at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium again or at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. – JVP/Rey Joble, GMANews.TV
