Living legend Manny Pacquiao says it is “an amazing grace from God” that he is still as fast and as agile as he is at his current age of 44. Pacquiao, speaking with the media in the Philippines, as quoted by Rappler, said he has been in negotiations for a fight – a real fight not merely an exhibition bout – to take place in either October or November of this year.
There had been strong suggestions that Pacquiao could fight Conor Benn, but that fight seems unlikely now; with reports saying Benn will fight Chris Eubank Jr in their grudge fight, this set for last year only to collapse because of you know what.
Pac Man says he misses boxing and that he still moves “like [I’m] 30 years old, like I’m 20 years old.”
“I missed boxing. I’m okay with exhibitions. But for me, as a boxer, you want to be world champion again,” Pac Man said. “There is still that dream to return to boxing. Right now, I’m focused on training and conditioning so I will not lose my speed and power. For someone my age, I’m still moving like [I’m] 30 years old, 20 years old. This is a grace from God, an amazing grace. I’m happy whatever my future will be. I leave it to God. Whether I fight again or not, no problem. If there is an opportunity, I’m up for it. If not, I’m happy doing exhibitions.”
Pacquiao, 62-8-2(39) and inactive since his August 2021 decision loss to Yordenis Ugas, seems to come across here as a person who is in mixed emotions. On the one hand, he says he wants to fight again for real, to become world champion again. On the other hand, Manny says he is “happy doing exhibitions.” In all honesty, the majority of Pacquiao’s many millions of fans wish their hero would stay retired. Pac Man has absolutely nothing to prove, yet at the same time, as great as he says he feels at age 44, he would run the risk of suffering a bad defeat if he did come back to fight a young buck.
Stay retired, Manny. And enjoy your life. Those 12 world titles from an incredible eight weight divisions should be more than enough.