By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao has said he is willing to postpone his announced retirement.
The Filipino superstar has claimed that he plans to retire following his third fight against Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley on April 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
Pacquiao now says he is willing to postpone those plans for the “honor” of representing the Philippines in the Olympic Games in Rio four months from now.
Sky Sports in Britain reported that the president of amateur boxing's governing body, Wu Ching-Kuo, is proposing a rule change that would allow professional fighters to compete at this summer's Rio de Janeiro Games.
And Pacquiao is ready to make the trip.
Pacquiao was quoted as saying "It would be my honor to represent the country in the Olympics. If I would be asked to represent boxing, why not? I would do everything for my country."
Dr. Wu had earlier invited Pacquiao to compete in the Olympic boxing tournament as a “wild card” entry that would send him into the main draw without having to go through a series of preliminary bouts.
The Filipino's long-time rival, five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., has already ruled out the idea of reversing his retirement to go to Rio some 20 years after he won bronze at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
The International Boxing Association will vote in May on Wu's plan, which has been criticized by the major professional boxing organizations, the British Boxing Board of Control and some of the biggest names in boxing such a former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis who branded the plan as “ridiculous."
