Pacquiao to retire in August 2009, joins Kampi

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing idol Manny Pacquiao is looking at two more fights after Oscar dela Hoya in December, and possibly many more in the political ring in the coming years as he made a surprise announcement yesterday that he will retire by August next year after being sworn in as member of President Arroyo’s political party.

Pacquiao, who took his oath as member of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino or Kampi, is scheduled to face Dela Hoya on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a fight where he stands to receive around $15 million. He took his oath before Kampi chair Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno at the DILG office in Quezon City.

Pacquiao, at 29 already the richest and most popular Filipino athlete ever, has nothing more to prove in the ring.

He was welcomed by other Kampi members, including presidential son Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez and Manila Rep. Trishia David.

Puno said Pacquiao is a “plus factor” for Kampi and is expected to greatly help convince Filipinos in Mindanao, especially in South Cotabato, to abandon violence and put their trust in the government’s peace and development efforts.

Pacquiao ran but lost to Rep. Darlene Antonino in the first district of South Cotabato last May 2007. The boxing champ said he lost because he had little time to campaign as he was then preparing for his boxing re-match with Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez. 

Puno said Kampi will ensure an election victory for Pacquiao if he decides to run for any position in 2010.

The DILG chief said Pacquiao took his oath under the Liberal Party wing of Environment Secretary Lito Atienza but he registered as Kampi member in his failed congressional bid.

Pacquiao said he decided to join Kampi to show the Filipinos that he “could also be champion when it comes to helping our countrymen.”

Kampi, the second largest political party in the country, has in its ranks 55 congressmen and 15 governors, among others.

Puno noted that Kampi has a strong presence in Central Mindanao, especially in the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani.

Pacquiao promised he would not be influenced by dirty politics. “I want to help my countrymen, but the honor I gave to the country is not enough because it can’t feed the people,” he said in Filipino.

Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee are expecting their fourth child in December or January.

Win or lose in December, Pacquiao will be good for two more big fights, and his advisers are looking at British cyclone Ricky Hatton, probably in March or April, or Floyd Mayweather Jr. by July or August.

If he wins them all, he can retire as the greatest boxer of his era.

Pacquiao said his parents have advised him to retire after his match with Dela Hoya.

Mayweather, the former pound-for-pound king until Pacquiao came along, retired early this year, but insiders believe that if the Filipino superstar gets past Dela Hoya and Hatton, then he’s next.

“We are hoping that if Manny beats Dela Hoya and then Hatton, we can lure Mayweather out of retirement. There’s no more easy fight, no more small fight for Manny until he retires,” said his business manager Eric Pineda.

“If we beat Oscar, then we go for Ricky, and then go for Floyd Jr. That will be the mother of all battles – between two pound-for-pound champions,” he said.

Pacquiao said he has started his conditioning-training but he will leave for the United States on Sept. 14 or about three months before the match.

The world boxing champ said he knew a lot of weaknesses of Dela Hoya, 35, but he refused to reveal them to prevent the Mexican boxer from preparing or improving on his weaknesses.

Pacquiao has also refused to disclose the strategy he would use for the fight.

The Filipino boxing icon also said his camp and that of Dela Hoya have agreed on the split on the purse. “It’s bigger than the 70-30 in favor of Dela Hoya, but I won’t reveal the exact figure,” Pacquiao said.

“It’s a great honor to fight him because he’s my idol. Fighting him is in itself an honor, more so if I win,” Pacquiao told reporters.

Dela Hoya was already fighting as a lightweight (134 lbs), and was on a hot 17-0 winning streak when Pacquiao began his pro career in 1995 as a gangling 106-pounder.

Pacquiao said he remembers the day when he fought Lehlo Ledwaba on June 23, 2001 at the MGM in the undercard of Dela Hoya’s fight against Javier Castillejo.

Pacquiao won that night and took the IBF super-bantamweight (122 lbs) crown while Dela Hoya survived 12 rounds for the WBC light-middleweight (154 lbs) crown.

Pacquiao stands to earn $10 million to $15 million or even more for this fight, and may even get an extra $3 million if Dela Hoya weighs in a pound or a fraction heavier than the limit.