The Filipino superstar has had better days in the ring during a career that saw him win world titles in eight weight classes and virtually guarantee himself a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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It was the sort of performance his admirers believe could persuade him to prolong a career that has earned him more than $500 million over 21 years. Ive made a commitment to my family that Im going to retire after this.
“Manny was strong the entire fight and he was also very patient”, Bradley said.
Manny Pacquiao scores the second of two knockdowns in his third meeting with Timothy Bradley Jr.
Bradley, meanwhile, paid tribute to his opponent.
“I would like to see Canelo, he is too big for Manny, but I would like to see that fight”.
Pacquiao won Saturday’s bout in a unanimous decision, but there’s speculation over whether or not it will be his last fight.
Ariel Toledo, 34, who watched the fight on a widescreen TV under the burning sun in a suburban Manila plaza, was among the many who yearned for Pacquiao to postpone his retirement. Pacquiao picked it up in the fourth round, going from full-on boxing to more of a punching match.
For Pacquiao, it’s understandable why he might flip-flop on retirement. Bradley (33-2-1) continued to hang in for the latter rounds but appeared in trouble at the final bell.
Pacquiao showed his trademark power in the ninth, and seemed to buzz Bradley a couple of other times.
In the ninth round, Pacquiao sent Bradley tumbling again on the floor with a short hand to the face but the American recovered anew in the last 45 minutes of the round. If he retires, I’ll be happy for him. “Let’s make a decision and move on”.
“In my heart I’m 50-50”.
“I love the way Pacquiao threw his combinations tonight”.
This was also Pacquiao’s first fight since the anti-gay comments he made in February, calling same-sex couples “worse than animals”.
He did, however, leave a window open for a return, saying he’s retired now but he’s not at the point of knowing whether he’ll want to come back.
“His hard-won victory, which brought a great sense of pride to his country, should surely help him seal a place within the magic 12”, Heydarian, an assistant professor of political science at De La Salle University, said.
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“I know he’s in physical shape to keep fighting – his speed is good, his legs are good, his work ethic is great”. “If you ask me about if I’m coming back, maybe I enjoy by being retired and serving and helping the people”.
