MANILA, Nov. 27 (PNA) -- World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao had served notice that his 15-year fighting career might end soon.
Pacquiao also admitted that he was not in his usual fighting self when he faced Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez a little more than two weeks ago in Las Vegas, where he defended his 147-pound crown via a majority decision.
Pacquiao, who will turn 33 on Dec. 17, also admitted during a press conference held upon his arrival in Sarangani Province last week that he might have been over trained for the match, echoing the observation made earlier by his trainer Freddie Roach.
Roach, in an interview with this writer at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood in Los Angeles two days after Act III of his trilogy with the world lightweight titleholder, said the advanced sparring with lightweight prospect Jorge Lizares started two weeks earlier than scheduled might have affected the preparations.
The advanced sparring sessions held was with Roach while still in the U.S. and at the initiative of the eight-division belt-owner himself to prepare the Venezuelan fighter for his upcoming world lightweight championship, which Linares, eventually lost though.
During the presser, Pacquiao obliged the local media men in a question and answer session on the hottest issues involving his failure to fashion out a convincing win that would have decided the issue on who the better fighter between them that remained unsettled in their previous two encounters.
Pacquiao said only a few fights separate him from hanging his gloves so he can concentrate on serving, not only his Sarangani constituents but the whole Filipino nation through government service. He did not elaborate though.
While admitting that several minor distractions, indeed, had affected his performance, Pacquiao emphasized though that the alleged spat with wife Jinkee was not one of those. He, too, denied the existence of such misunderstanding that might result in his falling out with his better half, whom he has four children.
“Hindi tutoo yun. Proof is Jinkee followed us in Las Vegas to lend me support in my fight as a wife should contrary to earlier reports that she won’t watch the fight,” Pacquiao assured.
The Ring Magazine pound-for-pound king apologized to his provincemates for his failure to knock Marquez out as everybody was expecting.
“Much as I wanted to score a convincing victory, Hindi nangyari yun noong gabing iyon,” he told his audience. “As I have been saying, Marquez is still a good fighter as when I first met him twice."
“He had a battle plan which he executed to the T,” he noted by way of giving Marquez, called the “Dinamita” due him.
Pacquiao, likewise, dismissed allegations from several quarters of Marquez’s foul tactics of stomping his feet on his, explaining that it was not illegal and that it was part of unavoidable circumstances in fights involving right-handed and left-handed fighters.
People close to his team said that, indeed, has non-boxing related big personal problems evident even before the Marquez confrontation and until the day he returned to the country.
“It could be his duties and responsibilities as a Congressman or his other extra curricular activities as his television show and other things related to his being an entertainer,” a team Pacquiao member was quoted as saying.
In contrast with the cold welcome accorded him in Metro Manila when he and his party arrived last Monday, the reception giving him by his Sarangani constituents was warm that had Pacquiao appearing very elated during the motorcade and the ensuing official activities organized by the provincial government. (PNA)
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