AP Photo/Jae C.Hong
Manny Pacquiao has been on the path toward a political career for several years now, and initially wanted to retire before he took this to the next level. Now however is appears that his political aspirations are interfering with his boxing career again, which is something that few of his fans will welcome.
A proposed super fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is now being put on hold because of the elections happening in May of next year, pushing the bout back by at least several months.
Both fighters are now looking at new opponents for bouts in the next couple of months. Matthew Hatton for Mayweather and Yuri Foreman for Pacquiao are the current favorites.
Both fights are considered easy fights for the pound for pound greats, and shouldn’t interfere with their bout unless there is a shock upset.Foreman at least has a title for Pacquiao to take, which would also make him a champion in an 8th weight class. Matthew Hatton is a puzzling bout given that Matthew doesn’t have a title for Floyd to take and Mayweather has also beaten the more highly regarded Ricky Hatton in the past. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
During Manny’s last foray into politics, he was unsuccessful, and found that people who loved him as a boxer, didn’t necessarily feel the same way about him as a politician. Not only this but he reportedly lost a lot of money on his election campaign when his supporters helped themselves to the coffers.
His next campaign may be more successful than the last, but if it comes at the cost of his boxing success then it will undoubtedly damage his legacy as the best boxer of his age. Not only this, but if people perceive his political career as being in direct conflict with his boxing career, then his chances of being elected will be dashed. All his opponents have to do to beat him is to insinuate that he will continue to fight if he loses the election, and a lot of people will vote against him for this alone.
The big difference between being a politician and a boxer of course is that as a politician, Manny will only ever have just over half of the people on his side at best. The entire nation roots for Pacquiao in the boxing ring, but then he represents the Philippines and is usually against a foreign fighter. In the political arena he only represents himself and his political ideals.
