The time and energy needed to run an election campaign are giving Manny Pacquiao second thoughts about making a boxing comeback.
“Parang malabo na (It’s unclear),” Pacquiao told Daily Tribune yesterday barely 24 hours after declaring his run for the presidency in the 2022 elections.
Although Pacquiao won’t be filing his candidacy just yet, the logistics of running a campaign is expected to be put in motion anytime soon, something that will eat up into the fighting senator’s tight schedule.
Under the law, candidates seeking national posts can start campaigning on 8 February until 7 May. The elections are scheduled on 9 May.
Last month, Pacquiao was upset by Cuban Yordenis Ugas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a failed bid to capture the World Boxing Association welterweight crown.
Immediately after the loss, Pacquiao hinted at retirement, saying the boxing world might have seen the last of him.
But still, Pacquiao later realized that he might have committed a major blunder by burning himself in training, stressing that he could not move well enough because of cramps on his feet.
If Pacquiao changes his mind and decides to fight for the last time, it has to be before February with December this year and January 2022 as ideal dates.
Pacquiao turns 43 on 17 December.
Usually, Pacquiao trains eight weeks for a fight and if he opts to return to the ring in December, he has to kick off camp by October. If it’s in January, he has to begin in November.
Given the current situation, it’s a stretch for him to fight again as Pacquiao also has to attend to his senatorial duties and election buildup.
