Manny Pacquiao Quit From Boxing To Pursue A Career In Politics.
Written byTimes Magazine
Key Sentence:
- Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has announced his retirement of the sport to focus on his political career.
- The multi-division world champion, a senator in his native Philippines, has announced that he will run for president in the country's 2022 election.
The 42-year-old boxer's last fight was a loss to Cuban Jordanis Ugas in Las Vegas last month. "I just heard the last bell. Boxing is over," tell Pacquiao. In a video posted on media, Pacquiao described retiring as the "toughest decision" of his life, adding that boxing gave him "the opportunity to fight his way out of poverty" and "the courage to make more life changes."
He also thanked his fans, friends, and everyone who has supported him throughout his career, especially his longtime coach Freddie Roach whom he referred to as "my family, my brothers and my friends."
"I will never don't remind what I have done and achieved in my life," he said.
Raised in poverty in the southern Philippines, Pacquiao moved to the capital, Manila, as a teenager to pursue a boxing career that would make him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. He won his new major title in 1998 at 19, beating Thai Chatchai Sasakul for the WBC lightweight title.
In three years, he fought in Las Vegas, defeating South African Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF super heavyweight title at the MGM Grand, where most of his fights were for the next two decades. He is considered one from the greatest professional boxers of all time, winning 12 different titles in eight weight classes, and is the only boxer to be world champion in four decades.
In July 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight champion in 40-year history when he defeated Keith Thurman to win the WBA (super) welterweight title.
After losing to Ugas in August, Pacquiao said he was "60-40" for giving up.
He retired with a record of 62 wins, eight defeats, and two draws. Pacquiao entered politics in 2010 when he won a seat in the lower house of the Philippine Congress before being elected to the upper house for a six-year term in 2016. He reiterated his intention to run for president earlier this month after being nominated by the ruling PDP-Laban faction.
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