PACQUIAO WON'T RETIRE UNTIL HE FIGHTS MAYWEATHER AGAIN
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 Jan 2016
Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao won't be retiring soon as expected.
Not after his coming encounter against reigning American World Boxing Organization welterweight belt-owner Timothy Bradley whom he will be facing for the third time in four years on April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Not until his ardent wish to meet anew the retired 49-0 record holder Floyd Mayweather is realized.
This, Pacquiao, who just celebrated his 37th birthday last December 17 intimated in a long distance interview on New Year's eve Friday from General Santos City, where he spent the Holiday Season with his family.
"I have been very vocal about it (fighting Mayweather) even before the Bradley fight was made official on New Year's eve," Pacquiao told this writer. "The reason is simple, I want to end my 21-year boxing career with a big bang so to speak."
"And what would be the biggest fight to end a career than fighting the best and finest boxer at least in this era?" the only man to win world tiaras in eight divisions and four lineal plums asked.
"We could have given that last May when we faced each other but due to unavoidable circumstances, sports fans failed to get the results they wanted," the Sarangani congressman who is seeking a seat in the Upper Chamber in the May elections, said.
"Not that Floyd's legacy and mine can still be questioned but wouldn't it be more colorful and meaningful closing our respective careers on higher notes at the same time putting an end, too, on the business we started but we were unable to finish?"
Pacquiao said his team selected Bradley as his next opponent following his loss to Mayweather, saying the WBO 147-pound champion, the erstwhile unbeaten American, known as the "Desert Storm", is one of the best welterweights there is in the entire universe.
Besides, unlike junior welterweight titleholder Terence "Bud" Crawford, Briton Amir Khan and up-and-coming Adrien Broner, Bradley, who beat him via a questionable split decision in June 2012, a setback he avenged in an overwhelming unanimous verdict two years later, has already proven his worth as a PPV attraction.
The "Fighter of the Decade" honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America added Bradley's 9th round stoppage of Brandon Rios last year also did it for the Californian fighter. Pacquiao only managed a unanimous decision triumph over Rios two years ago.
"So contrary to what some sectors believe, the choice of Bradley was not based solely on a business standpoint," he explained. "There were many factors our team, headed by promoter Bob Arum, considered."
"And the most important, of course, was what fight can give fans the enjoyment and excitement they expect, which, actually is my primary criteria in choosing an opponent," Pacquiao pointed out.
"Many, indeed, seemed dissatisfied with the choice, but what I can assure everybody is we made that decision having the interest of the boxing public in mind," Pacquiao assured.
Pacquiao during his birthday celebration on Dec. 17, 2015. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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