Manny Pacquiao has done a lot for boxing over his 17-year-long career.
It hurts to say this as a longtime fan of his, but while he’s currently searching for his next opponent, it’s best that Pacquiao retires.
This isn’t a knock to his age (33) or his current ability, but rather the tough predicament he’s in at the moment.
The past year has been a roller coaster for arguably the second-best fighter pound-for-pound. His previous two fights against Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley were highly controversial and damaged his decorated career.
He doesn’t have much left to prove. Pacquiao is in full force in his tenure as a Filipino congressman and has kept moving around his return date (now Dec. 8) because of his re-election campaign.
A fight with pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will likely never happen, since division of the purse is the largest disagreement between both fighters’ camps along with drug testing.
Who else should Pacquiao fight in the welterweight division? Miguel Cotto, a top fighter he’s already beaten, already has a match scheduled near Dec. 8.
His only open possible matchups: Bradley and Marquez, again.
It’s a good idea to consider hanging up the gloves, Manny.
