PACQUIAO: "I DON'T INTEND TO RETIRE, YET" (FINAL PRESSCON PHOTOS)
By Eddie Alinea of Spin.ph
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 28 Jun 2017
Saying retiring is far from his mind, World Boxing welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has assured all and sundry that he does not intend to lose his coming fight against his Australian challenger Jeff Horn.
?No, I came here in Brisbane a champion, I?ll go back to our country a champion,? the 38-year-old fighting senator vowed in a long distance telephone talk to this writer Wednesday.
?As in all my previous fights, I do not intend to lose this one because I, too, do not intend to retire. Not yet, anyway,? he said rather emphatically.
?Bago ako umalis sa bayan natin, naipangako ko na sa sarili ko na bibigyan ko muli ang mga kababayan ng kampeonato. Kasama na dyan ang lahat ng boxing fans sa buong mundo,? he said. ?Tutuparin ko yan.?
The Pambansang Kamao squares off with the no. 2 former physical education teacher contender on Sunday in Brisbane?s 55,000-seat Suncorp Arena with his 147-pound belt at stake.
?As I have been saying, I prepared long and hard for this fight, sacrificing my time doubling as a lawmaker precisely for that purpose,? he said. ?Hindi ko sasayangin ang panahong ginugol ko sa ensayo at sa pagiging mambabatas ng ganun lang. Away from my family at that.?
The eight-division champion was referring to wife Jinkee and five children ? Jimmuel, Michael, Princess, Queenie ad Israel, whom he left in hometown General Santos City for at least a month to train in Manila.
?Not that I?m undermining Jeff?s capabilities. I?m not even saying that there?s no way he can beat me. Of course he can. He?s young, strong and hungry,? he remarked.
Pacquiao recalled that after the Tim Brradley III he tried to hang his gloves only to come back just months later.
?Because I missed boxing. I missed everything connected to the sport. Boxing is my life as I have been telling everyone repeatedly. Marami nang nagawa sa aking buhay ang boksing. At marami din naman ako sigurong nagawa sa boksing at kapuwa ko boksingero,? he relayed.
?They say that by coming here to fight, I?ll be helping revive boxing in Australia. Good, I?m honoured to hear that. Very flaterring. Imagine makakatulong ako, Manny Pacquiao, na buhayin ang boking dito sa bansang ito at mga bayang iba pang karatig.
Isang malaking karangalan sa akin, sa aking pamilya at maging sa Pilipinas at ahing Pilipino," he exclaimed. ?May mga nagsabi din na may mga boksingero akong natulungan earned big money just for fighting me. I?m happy to hear that. Napakagandang pakinggan,? he said with a proud voice.
?Alam mo, yang mga papuring yan, nakakataba ng puso. Nindi naman lahat kasi ng nilalang napapapurihan ng ganyan. Not every Tom, Dick and Harry is given that praise. I?m really grateful to God for giving me a kind heart,? he said.
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