Serving Philippines senator and boxer Manny Pacquiao has made a u-turn on his retirement from boxing hours after announcing his retirement from the sport on Monday September 20.
Pacquiao announced his decision to retire from boxing in order to focus on his presidential ambition while speaking with actress Toni Gonzaga on her YouTube program Toni Talks.
The pugilist said during the YouTube interview with the actress that his defeat by Ugas last month was the final fight of his 26-year, 72-fight professional career.
“My boxing career? My boxing career is already over,” Pacquiao said. “It’s done because I’ve been boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough. I just continued [to box] because I’m passionate about this sport.
“I will just support other boxers for us to have a champion again.”
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However, an advisor to the former multiple-weight world champion has said that his retirement is far from final despite the fighter’s defeat by Yordenis Ugas last month.
Sean Gibbons, the president of Pacquiao’s promotional company, has told ESPN that the boxing star is still considering what’s next for his career, and has yet to fully retire.
“In the coming weeks, the senator will decide how he’s going to finish his professional boxing career,” he said.
“After the fight and recently, he’s discussed retiring [or] maybe one more [fight]. He’s just talking out loud about different situations.
“Until you see it officially come out on his Twitter or Instagram, he isn’t retired. Once you see it on a platform like that, it’s official.
“Anything else is just talk about what his thoughts are at the moment. It’s coming from him, but it is hearsay,” Gibbons added.
