LOS ANGELES ? Of all of Manny Pacquiao?s many victories, this may have been the biggest.
The eight-division world champion boxer from the Philippines appears to have won his election for a seat in that country?s Senate. With more than 95 percent of the vote counted as of Tuesday afternoon, Pacquiao was in seventh place among the 50 candidates running for office.
The top 12 finishers earn a six-year term. Pacquiao, who was running as a candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance, had more than 15 million votes cast for him.
?It is his biggest win,? said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who has been Pacquiao?s longtime promoter. ?It?s one thing to run for a seat in Congress where you just have to win your district. It?s another thing to win a national election.
?We?re thrilled for Manny. This is something he has taken very seriously and he has put a lot of effort into his campaign.?
Arum said it Pacquiao woiuld have earned even more votes had he not uttered his anti-gay comments back in February. Pacquiao was being interviewed by Philippine television and he said he did not support same-sex marriage, saying gays and lesbians who engaged in such activity were worse than animals.
Pacquiao apologized for the remarks but he had done some damage to his campaign. However, his April 9 win over Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden may have won him some votes.
Regardless, he will take his seat come July following the inauguration. Fred Sternburg, Pacquiao?s longtime publicist, says the senator-elect still hasn?t released a statement proclaiming victory but hopes to hear from him in the next 24 hours.
As to whether Pacquiao will fight again, Arum thinks he won?t. He retired with a 58-6-2 record with 38 knockouts after he beat Bradley.
?The job of Senator is so demanding,? Arum said. ?I don?t expect to see Manny in the ring ever again. But it remains to be seen. With Manny, anything is possible.?
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao?s longtime trainer, thinks that if there?s a way Pacquiao can legislate and fight, he?ll do so.
?Manny can still fight,? Roach said. ?I think we all saw that in his performance against Bradley. A lot of the old Manny Pacquiao was on display that night.
?I think he?s going to take his job as Senator very seriously, and he should. But I also think there?s part of Manny that still thinks he should keep fighting. If he can fight and wants to fight, I?m ready to help him. But Senator Pacquiao has a nice ring to it.?
