I may retire for worried mum, reveals Pacquiao
POUND-FOR-POUND king Manny Pacquiao has hinted he may retire from boxing – to make his mum happy.
The 31-year-old is again being touted for a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr after retaining his WBO welterweight title against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey in Texas last week.
But the Filipino insists his future plans do not revolve around an eagerly-awaited bout with Mayweather, instead admitting he is under pressure to quit the ring altogether from his mother, who is worried about his health.
“I might retire,” Pacquiao said. “My mother has been begging me to stop fighting, so we’ll talk about this. After my fight with [Miguel] Cotto, I asked her to allow me to fight one last time and she agreed. Now, she’s asking me again to retire, what will I tell her now?
“She kneels down and cries every time [she asks me to quit]. That’s a heavy burden when it’s my mother doing that.
“It may not reach a point where I will fight Mayweather. I may announce retirement, I will talk with my family about it.
“I came this far in my boxing career without Mayweather, so I see no need to call him out.
“He needs me to bolster his career. I do not need him, they are the ones who need me. I am open to him fighting me anytime he wants to.”