September 29, (THEWILL) – Filipino boxer and politician Manny Pacquiao, affectionately known as “Pac-Man”, has announced his decision to call off a boxing career that has spanned 27 years and seen him engage in no less than 72 professional fights.
Pacquiao, a former world champion, announced his retirement from professional boxing on Tuesday night in a 15-minute video on his Facebook page.
As THEWILL reported, on August 21, Pacquiao fought for the first time in almost two years in Las Vegas, losing to the Yordenis Ugas, the welterweight title holder after the judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112, 116-112 in Ugas’ favour. The loss wrapped up Pacquiao’s current official record at 62 wins, eight losses and two draws, in what remains a remarkable career.
The Filipino boxer’s statement read: “To the greatest fans and the greatest sport in the world, thank you! Thank you for all the wonderful memories. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m at peace with it. Chase your dreams, work hard, and watch what happens. Good bye boxing.”
Pacquiao thanked a long list of people in the video for their assistance and support throughout his illustrious career. He also acknowledged boxing for helping to shape his life all those years ago.
He said: “You gave me the chance to fight our way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world. Because of you, I have been given the courage to change more lives. I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life, I can’t imagine. I just heard the final bell.”
Pacquiao made his professional debut at the age of 16. He is the only boxer to earn world championships in four decades and is the first to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes. He was the oldest boxer to ever hold the welterweight title when he retired in 2019, at the age of 40.
The sensational Filipino southpaw has had career-defining wins against Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao also shared four incredible fights with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Although he lost the highest-grossing fight of all time to Floyd Mayweather on May 2, 2015, he still remained one of the biggest US-based attractions in the history of the sport and he holds the Guinness World Records title of the most boxing world titles in different weight divisions (8 times since November 13, 2010).
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
