Manny Pacquaio Prepares For Last Call in Historic Career

By Jake Donovan

Known for his humble nature and kind soul, Manny Pacquiao looked like he was ready to own the room as he strolled into The Crystal Ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel on Tuesday. The former eight-division champion was on hand with his in-ring yet friendly rival Timothy Bradley Jr. to kick off a two-city press tour for their April 9 rubber match in Las Vegas.

While plenty of focus was on the fight itself, the afternoon quickly turned to the notion that the forthcoming HBO Pay-Per-View event could be the last time the wildly popular Filipino southpaw steps foot in the ring, at least as a boxer. Top Rank CEO and founder Bob Arum, who celebrates his 50th year as a promoter in March, all but refused to acknowledge it as he introduced the future Hall of Fame boxer to the assembled media on hand.

“Manny Pacquiao has been with us so many years,” Arum noted of the boxer he’s formally promoted since 2006. “There’s been talk this may be Manny’s last fight. I can’t believe it. It could be and very well may be. But as I stand here and introduce him… as I’ve done so many times… I can’t come to grips with the fact that it would be the last time. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. That’s up to Manny.”

As Pacquiao took the mic, he made it abundantly clear that not only will this be his last fight, but that he will go all in to ensure that he exits the game on a high note. Sharply dressed in a burgundy blazer, his face bore the look of a boxer who appears to be fight ready rather than having to train to make weight.

Always charismatic but normally reserved in his comments, the 37-year old boxer spoke with confidence and energy throughout the press session. Such functions are normally met with his thoughts limited to the task at hand, but it makes a big difference when you’re well aware of what lies ahead after your next fight.

Especially when you know it’s your last.

“I had it fixed in my mind that I would have one more fight and that's it,” Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38KOs) told a group of reporters of his plans.
 
Talks of retirement don’t stem from his belief that he has nothing left to offer the sport, even if it’s what some want to believe following his last fight. Pacquiao and longtime pound-for-pound rival Floyd Mayweather not only made boxing history, but set the financial benchmarks to the point of perhaps never being surpassed, at least not in this lifetime with their titanic money grab last May in Las Vegas.

While an overwhelming financial success, the action from bell-to-bell left a lot to be desired. Pacquiao literally shouldered a lot of the blame for that, having concealed from the public a rotator cuff injury which he reaggravated on fight night. He did his best to fight through the pain, but instead was made to look ordinary against the only other fighter on the planet who can claim to be the best fighter of the 21st century to this point.

Mayweather has since called it a career, taking one more fight – a 12-round win over Andre Berto last September – before cruising off into the sunset. He remains an active promoter, his Mayweather Promotions a distant cousin to the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) movement.

Pacquiao plans a clean break from the sport. Already a two-term Congressman in the province of Sarangani, his exit from the sport is motivated by a pursuit for an open Senate seat in his native Philippines. The general election takes place in May, a big reason why securing an April 9 fight date was so crucial. In addition to needing time to hit the campaign trail, a win in his bid for Senator will mean having to assume the seat on a full-time basis.

Doing so means leaving behind the sport that propelled him to the level of superstardom far beyond his wildest dreams. His pro debut came just months after his 16th birthday, turning to the sport out of necessity more than desire.

Pacquiao was forced to overcome poverty and homelessness in taking to the pro ranks in 1995, literally more than half a lifetime ago. His first loss came in his 12th pro fight, barely a year into his career and less than two months after his 17th birthday.

By his 21st birthday, Pacquiao had already won and lost his first world title, briefly laying claim to the World flyweight championship. His title-losing knockout to Megdeon Singsurat came in 1999, at which point he was still barely known outside of Asia and among the sport’s absolute most hardcore fans, as information wasn’t quite as accessible as is the case today.

It would be almost two years before Pacquiao would wander on to the American boxing scene – into everyone’s heart.

“I think Manny Pacquiao is the greatest fighter of his era,” insists Freddie Roach, his Hall of Fame trainer. The two have been together since Pacquiao’s U.S. arrival in 2001, with the dynamic duo amassing a mark of 25-4-2, with title wins in seven more weight classes along the way.

It began with a knockout win over Lehlo Ledwaba, a fight Pacquiao took on short notice. His HBO-Pay-Per-View televised appearance ended with his claiming a super bantamweight title and thus laying the foundation for a star in the making. His popularity soared to new heights following his lineal featherweight championship knockout win over Marco Antonio Barrera in Nov. ’13.

Overall, the southpaw has won World (lineal) championships in four weight classes – flyweight, featherweight, super featherweight and super lightweight. Alphabet title wins at super bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight make for eight divisions total in which he’s claimed a championship label of sorts, making him the most belted fighter in boxing history.

Upon scoring a 2nd round knockout of Ricky Hatton in 2009, Pacquiao became the only fighter ever to own lineal championships in four divisions. That mark has since been matched by Mayweather, fittingly in winning their head-to-head matchup last May.

As he and Bradley are ranked one and two in the eyes of BoxingScene.com and Transnational Boxing Ratings Board (TBRB) – the latter a ratings group comprised of writers from around the globe (disclaimer: this writer is among said group) – their forthcoming rubber match will be for the vacant World welterweight title left behind in the wake of Mayweather’s retirement.

It’s an interesting designation, one that didn’t come with either of their previous two meetings. Pacquiao held a welterweight title heading into their first meet in June ’12. Bradley claimed a controversial split decision win – the only fighter in the 21st Century to that point to lift a major title from Pacquiao, whose only other loss since 1999 had been in a non-title clash in the first of three times he and Erik Morales crossed paths.

The nature of the defeat – a fight that most believed Pacquaio deserved to win by scores anywhere from 115-113 to 119-109 – was forgivable enough to where he remained one of the hottest attractions in the sport. That would come crashing down in his next fight – a 6th round knockout in his fourth and final meet with Juan Manuel Marquez. The shocker provided the only conclusive ending in their four-fight set dating back to 2004, with the previous three fights going to the scorecards, each of the outcomes debated to this very day.

Two fights later, Pacquiao and Bradley would once again cross paths. The welterweight title would once again change hands, with Pacquiao claiming a well-earned unanimous decision in the type of fight – coupled with popular opinion over who deserved to win the first fight – that a third meeting wasn’t deemed necessary.

Getting back to this point required Bradley (33-1-1, 13KOs) to rediscover his in-ring swagger. His subsequent fight was an awkward 12-round draw with Diego Chaves, followed by a well-deserved nod over Jessie Vargas, although their clash last June featured controversy in the closing seconds. Bradley was briefly rocked within the last 10 seconds of the 12th and final round, only for referee Pat Russell to mistake the 10-second clapper for the final bell in abruptly ending the fight.

A new-and-improved version of the always-chiseled Californian surfaced last November, hooking up with infamous trainer Teddy Atlas ahead of his eventual 9th round knockout of Brandon Rios.

It was his performance in that fight that prompted Pacquiao – perhaps with some encouragement from Arum – to opt for a rubber match with Bradley over a fresh meet with unbeaten Terence Crawford or former 140 lb. titlist – and also former gym mate – Amir Khan.

“This is a great privilege to fight Bradley again. I choose Bradley because I believe he’s different from the last time(s) we fought,” Pacquiao insisted during Tuesday’s press conference. “He’s changed, he improved a lot and he proved that against (Brandon) Rios. We can make a lot of (action) in this fight.

“We believe we will get great action, more than in the last two fights we had.”

Regardless of how it plays out, once it’s over, it’s over.

“I’m so happy to hang up my gloves after what I’ve done in my career,” Pacquiao stated, as if already reciting his retirement speech with the fight still nearly 12 weeks away. “I’m sure I will feel sad, but that’s life.

“I remember when I started boxing, I did it because I wanted to help my family, my mother. I end my boxing career because I want to help my countrymen, my Philippine people.”

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox