Jeff Gross - Getty Images
Could June 9th be the last time we see Manny Pacquiao in the ring? (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Ok breathe. Settle down and take the gigantic grain of salt that inevitably comes when the words boxer and retirement come together. However, this story isn't the normal crazy rumor, it does come straight from Manny Pacquiao according to Allen V. Estabillio of Minda News.
"Hindi maganda na nagse-share ako ng salita ng Panginoon tapos nananakit ako ng kapwa (It's not right that I share God's word and at the same time hurt other people)," he told reporters after gracing the oath-taking of newly-promoted personnel of the Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion in Maasim town in Sarangani.
"I've gained more than enough blessings these past years so I think it's time for me to return the favor," he said in Filipino.
These statements are in line with recent actions by the Filipino congressman. Citing his newly found faith and "Bible-centered" life, Manny has sold his prized fighting cocks, his Manila casino, and his entertainment bar J-Mix. A devotion to bible study and a newly found faith started after beating Juan Manuel Marquez in November. Apparently Manny started studying the Bible with such vigor that Manny has accepted an offer from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to become the Church's "Bible ambassador." I have no idea what a "Bible ambassador" does, but it does show me that Manny is extremely serious about his faith.
I'm not sure if Manny is going to retire after his fight with Timothy Bradley on June 9th, but it is something to keep in mind when watching the inevitable 24/7 series before the fight. With Manny becoming more involved in politics and faith, it seems that his interests outside of boxing are extremely serious. I always thought that actions spoke louder than words, and Manny's actions suggest that he is trying to pursue a more righteous path. Based on his words and actions, do you think that Timothy Bradley will be Manny's last fight?
0 recs | 55 comments
I hope that he does retire.
He has been a transcendental fighter, and now he has other places to go, things to do, and people to see. And, I think he’s getting a bit long in the tooth.
DrRck - February 13, 2012
I feel like the phrase “take it with a grain of salt” was based on the implication that a grain was small. Yet here you advise me to take Pacquiao’s retirement talk with a gigantic grain and it’s just confusing me.
Chris Sarda - February 13, 2012
Wikipedia has since freed me of my malice and i understand the idiom much better and you’ll be happy to know you’ve used it correctly.
Chris Sarda - February 13, 2012
He’s going for it. President AND pope.
Kory Kitchen - February 13, 2012
Hope he does...
Just because I’ve missed reading the “boxing is dead” articles from newspapers. We need some more.
BangBangLampley - February 14, 2012
Don’t tempt the ESPN boxing crew….
Waldo Rastel - February 14, 2012
BBL : Love the screen name!!
cylee1180 - February 14, 2012
This is not great talk heading into a tough fight…only reaffirms my and many other’s belief that Manny just isn’t in the fight game 100% mentally anymore.
Sammlung - February 14, 2012
Seems to me manny just wants to try everything.
ScottCL - February 14, 2012
I just think he’s done with the scrutiny. And rightfully so. The stories about his philandering and how people criticized his last fight, i think he knows that was a huge bullet he dodged. I agree its time for him to move on, because if he takes a loss now, its just going to bring on more sadness for him. His life is pretty much set right now.
Clove_art - February 14, 2012
I think you just dont like him
The guy is the closest thing to a cultural icon the world has seen in boxing since yes, Muhamed Ali.
He has never been known to be insincere. I did not say a saint. No one is. Certainly not the ATG Ali.
But Pacquiao is giving upother vices (cockfighting, philadering, etc) admittedly to dedicate himself to a greater power. Take the man on his word.
He fights every second of every round, sucessfully for the very most, with full conviction. He is a social and cultural phenomenon.
If he retires, it has nothing to do with who and/or when he boxes any longer. He has been content for some time now.
When he moves on…you will be very lucky to see another like him. So will the rest of us.
No response necessary.
pakinpower - February 14, 2012
I might be the only one
But I certainly did not read the previous post and think that the poster “just doesn’t like him”. If anything, it reads exactly the other way.
Olbas - February 14, 2012
Read his posts
He appeared on this site in the spring only after Floyd ’KOed" Ortiz
The diatribe is consistent.
Love for Floyd. Disdain for Manny.
If Fox news and Fighthype tean up, he’s their man.
pakinpower - February 14, 2012
In which case, are you disagreeing with Clove-art generally, or are you disagreeing with what he said on this occasion?
Olbas - February 14, 2012
Have u noticed at I haven’t attacked Pakin, but he constantly attacked me.
Clove_art - February 14, 2012
I certainly think he took your post out of context.
Olbas - February 14, 2012
Both
But the idea that ‘he is done with the scrutiny’ is assinine.
He is a politician for heaven’s sake. If you think the few of us who follow boxing are tough critics, then consider what his future (and present) in politics will be like.
Every action, word, misstep, woman whose path he crosses wiill beunder a microscope that with make the sports media and boxosphere pale by comparison.
As for highlight films of his career, they will be filled (as they already are) with triumphs…including the four knockdowns of Marquez; footage that is already used today and will not be put in the bin with the passage if time.
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
Research more, I was here before that.
Clove_art - February 14, 2012
Not much more.
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
Not to mention that his blood and tears cure cancer.
erod - February 14, 2012
Looks like you have two thumbs. One to write.
The other to rec your own comment.
Bravo
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
Guess proff that this is media hoopla. Ali was apart of racist anti- Semite organization that conspired with the FBI to assinnate Malcolm X. Please get ur facts straight.
Clove_art - February 14, 2012
Ali is revered Today. He was and is arguably the most celebrated (and best known) Athlete of his tenure as Heavyweught Champion and well thereafter.
We all knew his flaws. His politics. His biases. His philadering and hypocrisies. He was loved and reviled simultaneously. So if you are suggesting the man is not one of the most revered sports figures of the 20th century an beyond, the you are not just a hater. You are a fool.
Check the number of Sports Illiustrated Covers.
Thirty five. Second only to Michael Jordan.
“Muhammad Ali probably has had his picture taken more times than anyone in the history of the world — and probably had his picture taken by more people.”
— Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, July 13, 1998.
Media becomes history. And Ali is historic.
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
I dont understand- (he doesn't want to hurt people)
Well should football players just retire also? I could never imagine Ray Lewis or a guy like Lawrence Taylor uttering something like that. Holyfield is a christian man, so is George Foreman. These guys would never say anything like that.
Zfan - February 14, 2012
Ray Lewis is a non-convicted murderer my friend
LT is a nutter. A fun one but a full blown Whitney Houston Nutter.
Your examples are absurd.
Ali refused to kill men in wars he did not believe in for Allah. Other men of God have stopped activities/sport that they find beneath their service to a higher power.
pakinpower - February 14, 2012
Are these examples absurd too? why did you ignore this?
I used Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor because these guys are known for putting people on injured reserve. I could’ve used anyone’s name. I used them because both are very popular and everyone on this site should know who I was talking about. But since you wanted to attack their character to “help” your argument I’ll swap those and use Mike Singletary and
Dick Butkus. Now what. Are these guys a nutter too, like Whitney Houston? (Which I think is very low to say considering the woman just died)
Who said something about murdering people in war? I’m talking about sports. Football and boxing. Please dont compare that to killing people at war.
I’m guessing from your comment that you were an eye-witness to the incident huhn?
Zfan - February 14, 2012
You change your lame ass arguments whenever its convenient
You said Ray Lewis and LT ina concversation about manny Pacquaios values and potential decision.
Both are bordeline sociopaths. One has been through hell after being a pro. The other was in the ‘action’ when his boys killed another man. Nuff fucking said. OJ was found not guilty but guess what, Celebrity justice sucks. Ray knows where he was. And how lucky ihe is for being where he is.
Ali was a man of God. And Black. His refusal to fight and kill Vietnamese was highly principled and based on his religion. He was an is a man of Allah. That is why he was controversial.
Manny Pacquiao is a man of God. He is if you actually follow him…….not Fighthype….is a consistent man of intense religion. Two days ago I mailed Scott the first news break saying that as a potential appointee by the church as a bible ambassador his is giving up all of his vices, His Cockfighting birds. And other other worldly but questionable activities. I suspected that boxing was next.
You use Ray Lewis to in the same sentence to make your arguement and then add LT. Dude, I love LT and I lived in NYC during his tenure but yes….like poor Whitney, he lost his way through drugs and particualrly crack.
Respect to poor Whitney but the poor girl never found that higher power than saved me and so many other addicts.
As for George, I believe like Reggie White they felt their mission for God was best conveyed through sport and the pa=latform it provided. Manny has zero to prove. He is a fist ballot HOFer.
He gives away a huge amount of what he makes. If he retires to to Gods work nand/or his peoples, you should see that for what it is.
pakinpower - February 14, 2012
Some were born to be great
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:11)
IF he retires, I believe he should if he’s lost the taste for competition. I don’t think he has, he still has the ability and was born to do this… He should stay and use his platform as a Christian athlete along with Andre Ward & Timothy Bradley. He is still fighter he was when he ripped apart Barrera in 2003. There is no contradiction in his profession and faith.
As a brother in the faith, remember what The Book of James says about taming the tongue.
“You change your lame ass arguments whenever its convenient”
" The other was in the ‘action’ when his boys killed another man. Nuff fucking said"
“Respect to poor Whitney but the poor girl never found that higher power than saved me and so many other addicts.”
honorablecbm - February 14, 2012 via iPhone app
the reference to Whitney Houston
was, IMHO, in extraordinarily bad taste.
No response necessary.
BrianBrock - February 14, 2012
If Ray Lewis is non-convicted, then he’s not a murderer. Apparently, he stood trial as an accessory, not as a murderer, and was acquitted. Maybe be careful here, because you’re flirting with slander.
BoxAnne - February 14, 2012
Manny is a Roman Catholic, and has always been a pretty devout one. The Roman Catholic Church banned gladiatorial combat a long time ago (my history is weak here, I can’t name the Pope who banned it, sometime around 400-500AD) and has resolutely discouraged combat sports for centuries. If as is likely he’s really into being a really good Catholic in a leadership position, he would pretty much have to stop. Got nothing to do with our logic, it’s the Church’s logic that would count with any very devout Catholic.
I personally disagree with the Catholic Church on this and many other issues, but that’s where it’s at for a lot of Catholics, and some Protestant sects (Quakers, for instancel) How that works for the many boxers from predominantly Catholic countries (most of Central & South America, La Belle Province etc) I can’t explain, but there is certainly that strain of anti-combat-sport religious thinking at work here. For some reason, these same thinkers consider football a game, not a combat sport, although it’s obviously just organized and sponsored gang warfare.
BoxAnne - February 14, 2012
I can't speak for the church
But is a man who decides he can serve its mission better given his fame and name earned in combat he no longer has faith in, then I respect it.
Beats going to war in the churches name IMO
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
I’m really not trying to give you a hard time here, but I don’t quite follow the above comment. Not sure what you’re reacting to in my comment, or what you mean.
BoxAnne - February 16, 2012
Holyfield did actually talk about this in the book “The Soul of Boxing”.
He talked about how he was regularly at odds with fighting for a living and hurting others, sometimes seriously, and weighed this up against his faith which preached peace.
Plenty of other fighters have talked about this in the past.
Fighters have killed other men in the ring for crying out loud.
Matt Mosley - February 14, 2012
Yes. He is not alone in having expressed those feelings.
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
its time...
Win or lose he should retire. The mayweather fight will never happen. He destroys Bradley in devasting fashion then heads out to the sun set. PERFECT!
DiE_HARDFER - February 14, 2012 via mobile
Retirement?
Nah, he’s reeling Mayweather.
ShrinkRap - February 14, 2012
meant to say reeling in Mayweather
ShrinkRap - February 14, 2012
Actually, I doubt it.
BoxAnne - February 14, 2012
Time will tell.
The rest is just speculation, good fun as it is. Let’s make a gentleman’s bet on it. The loser has to watch a replay of Haye-Klitschko in slow motion. Wait, it WAS in slo-mo, right?
ShrinkRap - February 14, 2012
Why would you do a “gentleman’s” bet with BoxAnne? That’s odd.
Apprentice - February 14, 2012
Not odd ...
Just an oversight. How about a gentleperson’s bet? I think that covers all the bases. ;)
ShrinkRap - February 14, 2012 via mobile
If it’s his last fight, I hope he loses.
It’s OK to say that right? It’s not that I don’t like him or something. It’s just then he’d leave us with Timothy Bradley: Star Fighter Who Retired Manny Pacquiao.
Scott Christ - February 14, 2012
Agree
And I think he would pass the torch with dignity.
No excuses.
Not Men in Hats.
No Toes
pakinpower - February 14, 2012
Of course it’s OK to say that. Personally the novelty of seeing a great fighter go out a winner pleases me more, it being so rare, but you’ve got a point.
BoxAnne - February 14, 2012
But if he wins and retires
then the continued banter of a Floyd fight will irritate the hell out of me.
Pops Daniels - February 14, 2012
+1
BrianBrock - February 14, 2012
it irritates the hell out of me too, but it’s never going to end no matter what Pacquiao does, including fight Floyd. It will just shift gears to who should have won the fight, no matter who wins the fight, and continue driving us all nuts forever. I wish nobody’d’ve ever thunk it, that “fight.”
BoxAnne - February 14, 2012
Initially, my gut feeling said that I hope he would wait to retire until after a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in November (yeah, yeah, not gonna happen…but if it does…). But then, the thought of Mayweather getting to boast about being the “man who retired Pacquiao” is almost too much to bear. I don’t mind Mayweather…I just think his ego is big enough already. So, going out with a loss and passing the torch to Bradley isn’t a terrible scenario.
ZeroIndulgence - February 14, 2012
There’s also that, assuming as many do that Pac would lose to May. Plus it would deprive Money of significant money, which has its appeal as well.
BoxAnne - February 14, 2012
If he were to lose, I dearly hope it would be in a good, competitive fight.
But I have a terrible feeling that Pacquiao will get smacked in the face repeatedly by Bradley’s melon, and that could lead to a real bad finish.
DrRck - February 14, 2012
Manny has not lost a step
He is still a dangerous puncher, fast and will show this against Bradley. If there is anyone who should retire it’s Mosley & Margarito.
honorablecbm - February 14, 2012 via iPhone app
Retiring on a Bradley fight is a bum note to go out on.
At least beat Marquez convincingly and put that to bed first.
Shitali Klitschko - February 14, 2012 via mobile
He'll beat Bradley
pakinpower - February 16, 2012
No question.
BoxAnne - February 16, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Bad Left Hook to post a comment.