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Philippines, 23 Nov 2024 |
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THIS PACIFIC STORM SHALL NOT PASS, NOT YET PhilBoxing.com Sat, 25 Feb 2012  PACQUIAO ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT RETIREMENT AND THE BIG FIGHT THAT CAN?T SEEM TO HAPPEN New York -- ?Is this your last fight Manny?? This question will always come out whenever Manny Pacquiao fights from here on. A report from a Philippine television network this month fueled queries from media and fans alike on the future of boxing?s pound for pound king. A question that he answered in the past in various interviews with the Philippine press and at last Tuesday?s Los Angeles leg of his press tour for his upcoming fight with Timothy Bradley. But that won?t satisfy the New York media and fans on asking him the same question. "No, No! Definitely not!," was Pacquiao?s quick answer to that question. The current WBO welterweight champion of the world made that pretty clear yesterday as he talked to a group of reporters gathered around him at the Lighthouse of Chelsea Piers in the West Side of this city. ?Maybe two, three fights,? he replied as to how many more fights is he looking at before calling it a day as a professional boxer. And the reason he gave to the reporters is one that is close to his heart. It involves a favor to his youngest son, Michael. The eleven year-old Michael has one request for his champion dad. ?Daddy, I want you to retire but before you retire, I have one request,? the young Michael asked him during one of their conversations. Pacquiao then asked his son what is it that he is thinking, of which Michael replied. ?Give me one fight. You fight Mayweather, beat him and then you retire,? Pacquiao narrated to the media men who broke in laughter upon hearing this. A proof that everyone regardless of age wanted to see this fight take place. ?Even my kids,? Pacquiao said smilingly. The fight everyone wanted to see was relegated on the back burner again after the latest round of negotiations failed between Pacquiao and WBC welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather. A failure that Pacquiao attributed to Mayweather?s reluctance to give him a fair share of the revenue. Most particularly are earnings from the pay per view of the proposed fight. ?Last month I spoke to Floyd on the phone, he called me in the Philippines and I told him let?s make this fight happen,? he disclosed. Pacquiao said he agreed to a 50-50 share of the purse and all of Mayweather?s request for blood testing for this match. But Mayweather has a different offer to Pacquiao. ?Let?s do this, I will give you this amount and no more pay per view for you,? Pacquiao narrated of his phone conversations with Mayweather. And based on Pacquiao?s reactions after saying that, you can sense his disgust on not being given a fair share of the revenue from what is forecasted to be as the fight that will shatter pay per view records. Pacquiao then recognized that Mayweather is not really interested in fighting him and is finding a way to not to fight him. Pacquiao believed Mayweather was serious about the non pay per view offer to him. He sent his adviser, Michael Koncz to America to meet with Mayweather after that phone conversation. Koncz said he met with the Mayweather camp on three occasions but nothing materialized out of their talks. Pacquiao made it clear that he is fine taking a lesser guarantee of the purse compared to that of Mayweather as long as there is an even split of the pay per view earnings. A reporter asked him if he went on record in the past, saying it was fine with him to get forty percent of the purse. ?It?s okay with me if he has a bigger guarantee (of the purse) and I have a smaller guarantee as long as it?s 50-50 for the pay per view,? Pacquiao replied. Koncz added that they suggested a prize fight offer to Mayweather as their final offer to them. ?As a matter of fact, the final offer that Manny gave was even better than that. Because after Manny talked with him on the phone, he gave me instructions to go back (to America) and the final offer that was given to Floyd was a fifty million dollar guarantee and a split of the revenue be 45 - 55. Manny says let?s make it a prize fight. So the winner will get a prize, an extra ten percent, and it didn?t work.? Pacquiao himself is getting tired from questions related to him fighting Mayweather. ?I am tired of answering that question, over and over,? he said. ?But he?s ( Mayweather) making statements that I am the one who does not want to fight. Like what I said, God bless him and I will pray for him.? For now, he will focus on the task at hand which is defending his title against the unbeaten Timothy Bradley. ?I expect him that he will fight toe to toe and will keep coming inside,? he described of Bradley. ?I am fighting an undefeated and young (fighter) who comes in ready to fight and is strong and can punch. It will be a good fight,? he added. If and when Pacquiao hangs up his gloves for good is entirely up to him says his wife Jinkee who is with him in the press conference. "Gusto ko na rin siyang mag-retire. Anytime, pwede na siyang mag-retire. Sinasabi ko nga, anytime naman pwede pero depende pa rin sa kanya kung kelan niya gusto. (I wanted him to retire. He can retire anytime. But that all depends on him whenever he wants to do so)," she told this writer. She also confirmed what Pacquiao said earlier that their kids want to see their father fight Mayweather before he retires. And as Pacquiao exited the venue towards the SUV that awaits for him and wife Jinkee outside of the Lighthouse of Chelsea Piers, the questions regarding his retirement will leave for the exit as well. At least for now. You can reach Rich Mazon at rrmaze24@aol.com for any reactions to this piece. Click here for a complete listing of columns by this author. Click here for a complete listing of this author's articles from different news sources. |
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