At the end of his illustrious boxing career, which will be concluded after his next two fights, Manny Pacquiao will step away from the ring and become a full time politician.
Here comes the disclaimer: Obviously growing up in Britain and now living in Pittsburgh, I know very little about the intricate workings of Filipino politics. But what I do know is that Manny Pacquiao is an inspiration to an entire nation when he fights, partly due to his humble nature and generosity, and partly due to his ferocity and tenacity in the ring.
So much so that the rebels and government troops stop fighting during one of his fights, and Filipino people the world over stop what they are doing and watch. The crime rate in Manila also drops to almost zero during the fight, which is something that no other sportsman today is capable of in any other city.
The question then is whether a nation who loves Many for his boxing will want him as a politician instead?
After all, no matter how good a politician is, they inevitably alienate some of the people that they are representing through their policies. Manny might find that he doesn’t like being no longer be universally liked if he does get elected and makes some unpopular decisions.
There have been calls from various groups of Pacquiao’s fans not to vote for Manny, perhaps in the hope that he will continue to box if he isn’t successful in his political aspirations. Some have also criticized his political maneuvering, although I don’t have the background knowledge myself to comment on that aspect. Whether he will continue to fight if not elected is something that Manny alone probably knows at this stage, although his family are also calling for him to retire.
At only 30, Manny is fairly young for a boxer on top of the world to retire. Shane Mosley for example is 38 and said today that he expects to box for another three or four years at least. Manny is an old 30 though, having already racked up a total of 55 fights, many of which he took a lot of punishment in. Rather than declining after all his wars like so many other fighters tend to though, Manny looks unstoppable right now, and gave perhaps one of the best performances of his career in flattening Miguel Cotto in his last fight. So the decision is purely based on whether he still wants to fight, rather then still being able.
Before the voting takes place, hopefully Manny will make it clear that he is retiring whether he is elected or not, to ensure that fans who want to see him fight again aren’t tempted to vote against him purely for that reason. The lure of the ring has tempted many boxers back after even lengthy retirements in the past, and will do so in the future as well, in most cases to their detriment either in health or legacy. Manny also seems to love the lifestyle of training and learning in the gym rather than relaxing in his mansion.
