Manny Pacquiao avenged his defeat to Tim Bradley at the weekend and regained his WBO world welterweight title and the admiration of many, but is it time he hung up his gloves?
Pacquiao has a large entourage who follow him when he fights and he loves having them around him. They all joint him at a Filipino restaurant in Los Angles when he trains there, and he includes them in his efforts to lose weight for a bout. The person who loses the most weight being rewarded financially. Having come from the streets Pacquiao is renowned for his generosity. However as many boxers will tell him the entourage will never tell you when its time to stop. Sugar Ray Leonard covered the issue of his support crew never speaking the truth to him, as they did not want the dream to end either, as retirement spelled the end of the big pay days for them as well.
Pacquiao may have to give the matter some serious thought as the one person calling for him to retire is his wife Jinkee who is currently pregnant with their fifth child.
“You have proven to the world your ability, he can now let go of boxing,” Mrs Pacquiao is quoted as saying and apparently asked her 35-year-old husband, “How much money do you want to amass if you would be kept away from your family?” She has a point.
Pacquiao however could possibly be thinking of the need to raise more money since the taxwoman is after his purse, bank account and other assets; the Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue, was keen to grab as much of Pacquiao’s $20 million guaranteed purse due to an alleged P2.2 billion tax deficiency.
With five kids to take care of, plus so many relatives he is supporting, he most likely wants to assure there is enough left in the pot after he has settled his tax problems with the Philippines government. A bout with Floyd Mayweather junior would be the perfect end financially, but as Pacquiao begins to suffer the ravages of time it may not be the best for his health or his boxing record.
