“He’s the best fighter I’ve ever faced, honestly”, Bradley said.
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Manny Pacquiao walked off into retirement – and a future as a politician – after winning the WBO International Welterweight championship in his farewell fight with Timothy Bradley.
“When I started boxing, I never (thought) that I can accomplish all that I’ve accomplished”, he said.
In a way, though, Pacquiao may have looked too good.
If his retirement talk holds true, Pacquiao finishes with a pro record of 58-6-2, with 38 KOs, and world title belts in eight different weight classes. “His comments against the LGBT community have surely alienated a lot of people and given him much notoriety internationally but I don’t think the backlash is big enough to prevent him from assuming higher office”.
Pacquiao, 37, knocked down American Bradley, 32, in the seventh and ninth rounds in the third welterweight meeting between the two.
A poignant development happened in the form of spectators spontaneously standing up at the Garden Arena and applauding during a lull in the twelfth round.
A year after their highly-anticipated match, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are still at it.
At the post fight press conference Pacquiao said that his family urged him to retire but admitted that in his heart he is “50-50” on hanging up his gloves. Pacquiao lost by unanimous decision in what was billed as the “fight of century”. No sooner had the scorecards been read – judges Dave Moretti, Burt Clements and Steve Weisfeld all had Pacquiao ahead 116-110 – than Pacquiao announced he was retiring from boxing to focus on his political career.
Already beaten to the punch, Bradley was likewise beaten on the mind game that he’d try to play on Pacquiao. “Manny was strong and solid”.
Pacquiao said in the days leading up to the fight that his family particularly his wife wanted him to retire. He left no doubt in the ninth with a big left hand that sent Bradley sprawling.
Bradley conceded the best man won. In the fourth round he reinjured a shoulder no one outside his camp knew was injured, Pacquiao said, leading to his defeat.
“That just boils down to concentration”.
Freddie Roach trains Pacquiao. “We came up short tonight”, said Bradley, referring to himself and chief trainer Teddy Atlas.
Maybe I enjoy being a retired man, serving the people, helping the people, he added, before giving a farewell message to his fans. I don’t believe the first knockdown was really a knockdown, but let’s give Pacquiao credit.
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A Manny Pacquiao sequel would always be welcome.
