10 reasons WHY boxing legend Manny Pacquaio SHOULD retire

There have been growing calls for Philippines boxing legend Manny Pacquiao to call it quits after he suffered a stunning sixth-round defeat against Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez in a non-title welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night.

Pacquiao, who had won twice and drawn once in his three previous meetings with Marquez, was floored by a thunderous right by the counter-punching Mexican with just one second left in the sixth round of a high-energy bout.

Here we give ten reasons why he should hang up his gloves.

1. This is Pacquiao's second consecutive defeat since losing a hotly disputed split decision to American Timothy Bradley, his first defeat since he was beaten by Erik Morales in Las Vegas in March 2005. He has slipped to 54-5-2 with 38 knockouts.

2. This was the first time Pacquaio had lost to Marquez in four fights with one of them being declared a draw. But the Mexican believes he had been robbed of victory by the judges in the three previous fights and the devastating knockout win was vindication for his controversial losses earlier.

3. The southpaw who turns 34 next Monday has vowed to fight on.  But many suspect that 17 years of pro ring combat are now taking their toll on the man once seen by many as the world's finest pound-for-pound fighter.

4. Philippine Olympic Committee vice-president Joey Romasanta said Pacquiao should have quit after his last winning title defence in 2011, when he retained his WBO welterweight crown against his old foe Marquez.

5. Boxing television analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz feels there was always the danger that too many punches could condemn him to the fate of his US coach, ex-fighter Freddie Roach. "The sight of Roach himself riddled by Parkinson's disease and the great heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, wracked by the disease, sends shivers among many who care deeply for Pacquiao," Nathanielsz wrote in the Manila Standard.

6. Pacquiao was knocked down in the third round before Marquez landed the knockout blow in the sixth and was taken to a Las Vegas hospital as a precaution.

7. Even pacquaiao's trainer Freddie Roach was uncertain whether he should continue fighting. "I'm not sure which way we're going to go right now. It really depends upon how he feels and what he wants to do. I'll definitely tell him to retire if he's not able to do it in the gym, but we have to see," said Roach.

8. His wife Jinkee added that she can't sleep after watching her husband get hurt and when asked if she wants him to retire, she replied, "You know the answer to that. He knows what I am asking him."

9. Pacquiao's mother Dionisia told GMA network: "I have long asked you son, it is time to retire because you started boxing at such a young age. I always pray that he will stop. I asked God to tell my son to stop."

10. He has already won unprecedented acclaim by winning world titles in eight divisions. He should not taint his record if he cannot focus fully on boxing since he has had to deal with his duties as a congressman, host of a television game show and as pitchman for various products.

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