MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao is expected to retire after his third meeting with Timothy Bradley on April 9 (April 10 Manila time) to become a full-time politician.
Only one fight can make him return to the ring.
The Filipino icon recently told Philboxing.com he is willing to lace up the gloves again if it involves a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I have been very vocal about it (fighting Mayweather) even before the Bradley fight was made official on New Year's Eve,” Pacquiao said.
"The reason is simple, I want to end my 21-year boxing career with a big bang so to speak," he added.
Pacquiao lost to Mayweather in last May’s fight that smashed pay-per-view records but was a critical failure for failing to live to the hype. The fighting congressman, it was later learned, fought on a bum right shoulder that he injured in training, further tainting the highly anticipated showdown.
He insisted he wants another shot at Mayweather, who himself retired after defeating Andre Berto a few months later.
“And what would be the biggest fight to end a career than fighting the best and finest boxer at least in this era? We could have given that last May when we faced each other but due to unavoidable circumstances, sports fans failed to get the results they wanted,” Pacquiao continued.
Top Rank Inc. chief Bob Arum earlier said Pacquiao-Bradley 3 won’t be marketed as Pacquiao’s last fight, keeping the window open for a comeback by the Filipino later this year.
Pacquiao, for his part, urged the undefeated Mayweather to settle their “unfinished business.”
“Not that Floyd's legacy and mine can still be questioned, but wouldn't it be more colorful and meaningful closing our respective careers on higher notes at the same time putting an end, too, on the business we started but we were unable to finish?” said Pacquiao.