After a sterling boxing career that encompassed 26 years, Manny Pacquiao has decided to finally call it quits.
Pacquiao took local pro boxing to unprecedented heights. He won a record eight division titles, defeated so many marquee names, and obtained the admiration of fight fans all over the world.
To say that Pacquiao’s retirement will leave a huge void in Philippine boxing is an understatement. Many believe the sport will never be the same.
“Pacquiao’s retirement will be the end of the cross-over appeal of boxing to non-boxing fans,” mused international referee and fight judge Danrex Tapdasan. “Boxing will be back to the pre-Pacquiao era wherein only diehard boxing fans will watch the fights.”
Pacquiao set the bar so high that it will take more than the efforts of one Filipino boxer to keep the sport afloat.
The country currently has four world champions: WBC bantamweight champ Nonito Donaire Jr., WBO bantamweight titlist John Riel Casimero, IBF junior featherweight king Jerwin Ancajas, and IBF minimumweight champ Rene Cuarto. Vic Saludar won the “regular” WBA minimumweight crown in February but with the WBA’s decision to purge numerous world titles, “super” champ Knockout CP Freshmart of Thailand is recognized as the real champ in the weight class.
Donaire has won four division crowns but the “Filipino Flash” is already 38 years old and is just a few fights away from retiring, too. Veteran Donnie Nietes has also won four division crowns and holds the record for the longest uninterrupted reign by a Filipino world champ, 2007 to 2016. Nietes, however, is already 39 and is coming off a two-year hiatus.
The responsibility to carry the sport falls on the shoulders of younger fighters. One who stands out is Ancajas. He is only 29 and has been world champion since September 2016. The mild-mannered Ancajas has made nine title defenses but is still on the lookout for a big fight.
Casimero, 32, comes across as an antithesis, a cocky puncher who has won titles in three weight divisions. He is in the hunt for a fight with either Donaire or WBA-IBF bantamweight king Naoya Inoue.
Featherweight contender Mark Magsayo (23-0, 16 knockouts), meanwhile, is being groomed as the next Pacquiao owing to his immense punching power. He fought in the Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas undercard and earned media mileage with a thrilling tenth round knockout of Mexican Julio Ceja.
But Magsayo, 26, was nearly stopped in the fifth round by Ceja and was trailing in the scorecards before the stoppage win. He still has several chinks in his armor, notably his defense and conditioning. He is the mandatory contender to WBC featherweight champ Gary Russell Jr., whose speed and boxing ability could test Magsayo.
Also waiting in line for a title shot is unbeaten prospect Jayson “Smasher” Mama (16-0, 9 knockouts). Mama, 24, was supposed to square off against IBF flyweight champ Sunny Edwards on September 11 but the fight was called off at the last minute after the Briton sustained an ankle injury. Mama remains a solid bet to beat Edwards.
“Wala nang magiging next Manny (There will not be a next Manny),” cautioned promoter, manager and trainer Aljo Jaro. “Sa nagawa pa nga lang ni Donaire baka wala ng makagawa. At yung nagawa ni Nietes na maging longest world champion, mahirap din mabura sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (What Donaire accomplished alone may not be repeated, and what Nietes did to become the longest world champion will be difficult to erase from Philippine history).”
“We cannot, and should not stop, and instead continue Pacquiao’s legacy,” former WBA welterweight champ Morris East said. “We have to prove that Filipino boxers are fighters to the end and Manny will continue to lift the spirits of our boxers. I have faith in our aspiring boxers since senator Pacquiao already paved the way for them by putting the Philippines on the map.”
Producing the next Pacman will be a tall order. It may even be argued that there will never be another Filipino fighter of Pacquiao’s caliber. Still, somebody special is expected to come along. If the fighter can pull off even a quarter of Pacquiao’s feats, Philippine boxing will stay the course.
“Si Manny ang magiging inspiration ng mga upcoming Filipino boxers (Manny will be the inspiration of upcoming Filipino boxers),” veteran international referee Silvestre Abainza said.
Pacquiao also figures to stay close to the sport as he heads MP Promotions, the goal of which is to continue developing today’s batch of Filipino boxers.
“I just hope Pacquiao retiring will make him develop more (Filipino world champs) as a promoter and handle more young Filipino fighters,” Tapdasan said.
