Many are expressing disappointment on Top Rank?s Bob Arum leaning towards Shane Mosley as Manny Pacquiao?s next opponent.
Include me in that list. But frankly, without Floyd Mayweather Jr, what challenge is there left for Manny Pacquiao?
Even the once dyed-in-the-wool Pacquiao loyalist Michael Marley is now convinced one of the reasons the Filipino boxing great isn?t retiring just as yet is that his balance sheet is not that good after a costly election win to become a member of Philippine Congress.
The admirable Hermie Rivera, who chased Pacquiao in General Santos from California to get a commitment from Manny to endorse a book he is writing, said Manny should not settle for just a split if he were to fight Mayweather. Now that Manny has decided to hold four or five more fights before retiring to the sunset of his boxing career even sans Mayweather, perhaps Manong Hermie should reconsider his position.
On paper, Manny is primed for quitting after all he has earned and done in boxing.
But he is not because he still has ?promises to keep and miles to go? before he sleeps. That is a Robert Frost line he delivered when he made his first privilege speech in the halls of the House of Representatives. He will be delivering those kinds of lines in many years to come if he wants to keep his now exalted position as an honorable member of Philippine Congress.
Pacquiao has a growing stable of political leaders to keep happy and a lot more hangers on to please.
I remember comedian Richard Pryor in the movie ?Brewster?s Millions? who, in a desperate dash to spend millions to get his inheritance without buying himself an asset, joined politics as the easiest way to squander one?s millions.
Manny learned that in 2007 in a bitter electoral loss to now General Santos City Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio. He obviously learnt it well by spending four more times he laid to waste the first time around. He won of course the second time around.
Boxing writers and fans should not cut each other?s throats arguing who Manny should fight next because from hereon, Manny is just collecting his boxing paybacks.
Assuming he wants to leave the sports in a blaze of glory, Manny only has two opponents left to further cement his boxing legacy.
One is a reluctant, if not avoiding, Mayweather. The other one is Sergio Martinez.
Down the road, a ninth title in as many weight divisions will make Manny an incomparable specimen in boxing. I don?t think any boxer from today?s cr?me of crop or even in the future could match that. Nobody will ever do that again.
