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In a 14-minute video posted on Facebook and Twitter, "Pacman",
as he is known in the sport, thanked fans worldwide before
closing the curtain on a 26-year boxing career that earned him
world titles in eight different divisions, which to this day
remains unmatched.
"I just heard the final bell. Boxing is over," said the
42-year-old Pacquiao, now a Philippines senator, drawing a flood
of reactions from fans ranging from disbelief to gratitude.
Pacquiao, whose fast footwork and blistering speed of punches
made him one of the top offensive fighters in the sport's
history, said he was at peace with his decision, adding it was
the turn of other Filipino boxers to shine.
"As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole
world especially the Filipino people for supporting Manny
Pacquiao," he said, fighting back tears.
Pacquiao came from impoverished beginnings https://reut.rs/3kRUMHu
as a ship stowaway who started fighting on the streets as a boy,
with prizes of $2 a fight. His net worth was $63 million last
year, according to his Philippines statement of assets.
He is widely rated as among the best pound-for-pound fighters in
history, better than Muhammad Ali https://reut.rs/3okAUyR,
veteran promoter Bob Arum said in 2010.
George "Ferocious" Kambosos Jr, an Australian world lightweight
champion and sparring partner of Pacquiao, expressed his
gratitude in a gweet, saying: "Thank you for everything you did
for my Career #Legend."
'GREATEST OF ALL TIME'
In August, the father of five lost a WBA welterweight world
title match
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/
sports/pacquiao-beaten-by-ugas-welterweight-title-fight-considers-his-future-2021-08-22
against Cuban Yordenis Ugas, leaving his fight record at 62
wins, including 39 knockouts, eight losses and two draws.
"Manny Pacquiao will always be the greatest boxer of all time,"
said Senate President Vicente Sotto.
With his six-year term as a senator ending next year, Pacquiao
this month presented himself https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/boxer-manny-pacquiao-nominated-presidential-candidate-philippines-2022-election-2021-09-19
as the best person to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte and lead
the Southeast Asian nation of 110 million people.
While no one questions his prowess inside the ring, many
political observers doubt his ability to fight entrenched
poverty and social problems and handle the economic fallout and
job losses from one of Asia's worst and longest-running COVID-19
epidemics.
"He is adored as a boxer, but even those who adore him as a
boxer have second thoughts about his ability to govern," said
Temario Rivera, a retired academic, citing his patchy Senate
attendance.
Pacquiao has since 2010 divided his time between politics and
big-money bouts mostly in the United States.
He promised to fight government corruption when he launched his
presidential bid, remarks that further damaged his relationship
with Duterte, whose bloody war on drugs and campaign to
reintroduce the death penalty Pacquiao had wholeheartedly
endorsed as a staunch loyalist.
Richard Heydarian, an author, columnist and academic who
specialises in politics, said Pacquiao's retirement meant he
will now give 100% to his political ambitions.
"I think Pacquiao is increasingly emerging as the candidate of
the opposition," Heydarian said.
A new opinion poll showed Pacquiao rising a notch to fourth
spot, cornering 12% of the 2,400 people surveyed, from 8%
previously.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome MoralesWriting by Karen Lema Editing
by Ed Davies, Lincoln Feast, Martin Petty and Mark Heinrich)
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