MANILA, Philippines – Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has decided to delay his retirement from the sport after his mother gave him her blessing to do one more fight.
Pacquiao said he will have one more mega-bout before concentrating on his new duties as congressman-elect of Sarangani province.
?Sabi ko sa mama ko, ?p?wede bang isang fight pa?? Sabi niya ‘O sige-sige’,? said the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.
Pacquiao earlier contemplated hanging his gloves after his mother Dionisia Pacquiao urged him to retire from boxing.
Although he has not yet named his next opponent, it is widely believed that he will be facing former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In fact, it is one of the reasons why top Rank promoter Bob Arum is in Sarangani Province.
Arum said he is determined to convince Pacquiao to fight Mayweather in what many believe will be the richest boxing match in recent history.
Waiting to be proclaimed
The 7-division champion has widened his lead over political rival Roy Chiongbian, and he looks forward to being formally proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, the boxing sensation had garnered 56,810 votes against Chiongbian?s 28,506.
The votes were tallied from precincts in the towns of Maasin, Maitum, Alabel and Malapatan municipalities.
?Hindi ko nga inexpect na magiging landslide ang resulta,” said Pacquiao.
The Provincial Board of Canvassers earlier planned to proclaim the winners by Tuesday afternoon. However, problems regarding the transmission of results from the towns of Kiamba, Malungon and Glan hampered the canvassing.
The Board of Canvassers will continue its tally Wednesday morning.
It is Pacquiao?s second attempt at a congressional seat. In 2007, the 31-year-old fighter lost to incumbent South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio. This year, Pacquiao chose to run in another congressional district.
?Like De la Hoya match?
In an interview, Arum likened Pacquiao?s second foray to politics to the boxer?s fight against Oscar de la Hoya.
He said like the De la Hoya fight, nobody expected the Filipino to win.
?I can’t wait to introduce him in the next press conference as the congressman of Sarangani. This has never happened before in the sport of boxing,? said Arum.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, commended his presidential bet Manny Villar for deciding to concede from the race.
He said Villar should be emulated for trying to unite the country.
?Saludo ako sa kanya sa pag-concede. Dapat magkaisa tayong lahat, suportahan natin ang [Benigno] Noynoy [Aquino III] administration,? he said. — With a report from Anne Santos, ABS-CBN Soksargen
