On Wednesday, the eight-division world champion announced his retirement. He was also a senator from the Philippines.
"I want to thank everyone, especially the Filipinos, for their support of Manny Pacquiao. In a 14-minute video, the 42-year-old said "Goodbye boxing" in a Facebook post. It is hard for me to accept the fact that my time as boxer is done. Today, I announce my retirement.
Pacquiao's 26-year-old, 72-fight career ended with 62 wins and eight losses. There were also two draws. Out of those 62 victories, 39 were by knockout while 23 were by decision. He was the first fighter to ever win titles in all eight weight classes and won 12 world championships.
After a disappointing defeat to Yordenis Urgas in Paradise (Nevada) on Aug. 21, Pacquiao decided to retire from boxing. Pacquiao was defeated by the younger Cuban boxer unanimously. He retained his WBA welterweight title. This was Pacquiao’s first fight in over two years.
Pacquiao stated in the video, "Thank you for changing me, when my family were desperate, you gave hope, and you gave me the opportunity to fight my way through poverty." You helped me inspire people around the globe. You gave me the courage to make a difference in more people's lives.
Pacquaio had recently hinted at his retirement. He is also aiming for a larger political arena, which was not surprising. He accepted the nomination of his party and announced that he would run for president of the Philippines in May 2022.
He accused his former ally, President Rodrigo Duterte of making corruption in the Philippines worse. He pledged to fight poverty, and warned corrupt politicians that they would soon be in prison.
His rags to riches life story and legendary career earned him honor in his Southeast Asian country, where he is also known as Pacman, People's Champ, and National Fist.
As a teenager, he left the poor southern Philippines home he was born in and set sail on a ship to Manila. At 16 years old, he made his professional debut in boxing as a junior fighterweight. He went on to become an athlete who was highly paid.
Eddie Banaag (79 years old) said Pacquiao was his hero as a boxer, and that he watched nearly all of his fights. He believes that Pacquiao should have retired sooner.
Banaag stated that Pacquiao should have done it right after his victory against (Keith Thurman), Pacquiao’s second-last fight. "It would have been more beneficial if he had a win than a loss to end his boxing career."
Pacquiao still believes that he will be remembered as a winner. His record in the Ring and career earnings in the hundreds of millions of dollars leave no doubt.
Pacquiao stated Wednesday that he will never forget the things he has done and achieved in his life. "I just heard that the last bell rang. It's over. "
