Filipino hero Pacquiao eyes mega fight with Khan before retiring

Pacquiao likely to retire after one more fight next year


Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao, a winner of world titles in eight different weight categories, said he is likely to retire from the sport after one more fight next year.

Pacquiao, 36, last fought in May when he lost to American Floyd Mayweather Junior in a long awaited bout between the sport's best two fighters, dubbed the Fight of the Century, that failed to match the hype.

Pacquiao underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff after the fight and had been expected to retire with little left to prove after achieving his long-stated goal of getting in the ring with Mayweather.

"I think I'm ready. I've been in boxing for more than 20 years," he said in an interview with ABS-CBN on Wednesday.

The Filipino said he wanted one more bout but it is unlikely to be against Mayweather, who has announced plans to retire after beating Andre Berto in September to improve his record to 49 wins and no losses.

"We can not say if there is a rematch or not. It depends, it depends," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao's long-term manager Bob Arum said last month he expected Pacquiao to fight again in February, with Briton Amir Khan and American Terence Crawford among the possible opponents.

The Filipino southpaw, who boasts a fight record of 57 wins, six losses and two draws, said he wanted to focus more on his political career.

Pacquiao turned professional when he was 16 years old and has won 57 fights, including 38 knockouts while losing six, three of them knockouts. Two other bouts ended in a draw.

Pacquiao, a congressman since 2010, announced this week his bid for a senate seat in national elections to be held in May next year.

"I will have to give up the other things that require my attention. If you are a senator, your focus should only be your job and your family," he said in the interview.

Before the elections, Pacquiao said he planned to climb into the ring that has made him one of the world's richest sportsmen for what would probably be one last time.

He has yet to pick his next opponent, and said he was not ruling out a rematch with Mayweather, even though the American has already announced his retirement.

A rags-to-riches Philippine idol, Pacquiao, a former street vendor, has shrewdly parlayed his boxing success into a career in show business, product endorsements and politics.

Now representing his southern province of Sarangani in the lower chamber of congress, the pint-sized Pacquiao is also an improbable professional basketball player and a Christian pastor.

He was mercilessly criticised on social media this week after it was reported he had attended just four legislative sessions out of 70 this year due to sporting and other commitments.

Despite this, the latest pre-election surveys put him in the winning circle of the 12 senatorial slots up for grab at the polls.

Pacquiao pledged he would be a "serious" senator should he win in May.

"I will not be absent because the whole country would be my responsibility," he said.

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