Manny Pacquiao said he heard the final bell when he announced his formal retirement through a short video posted on his official social media page.
But there’s one person who is still unconvinced. And it’s hard not to believe him.
Silvestre Abainza knows Pacquiao’s boxing mind so well that he could hear his pulse begging to disagree.
The 68-year-old boxing referee believes that boxing fans have not seen the last of Pacquiao on the ring.
“Kilala ko si Manny. Hindi pa ako kumbinsido (that Paquiao will retire for good),” said the 68-year-old veteran international referee.
What made him think that Pacquiao may still set his foot on the ring?
“Ibang mag-isip ‘yan. ‘Pag may laban ‘yan, mag-eensayo ‘yan. Displinado ‘yan,” added Abainza, who had refereed countless bouts of Pacquiao in his more than 20 years as a professional boxing official.
Abainza was already a well-known boxing referee when he first saw Pacquiao, who made his professional debut against Edmund Ignacio on January 22, 1995.
The then 16-year-old Pacquiao weighed just 106 pounds which were even below the minimumweight division, but still won the four-round bout with a unanimous decision victory and became an instant favorite of the crowd that watched the program in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
“Doon ko nakita ang batang ito, sabi ko balang araw, mag-champion ito,” said Abainza, who was the referee of the main event.
Abainza refereed Pacquiao’s fourth professional bout in his first foray into the flyweight division. It was against the more experienced Renato Mendones whom he stopped via TKO on October 21, 1995.
“Mendones was a tough guy, but the young Manny was a fighter, too. Dito nasabi ko na mismo harapan na ‘Manny, magiging world champion ka,’” said Abainza, to which Pacquiao replied, “Salamat po Kuya.”
From then on, he would always address Abainza as “Kuya (elder brother).”
Up to his most celebrated fights in the US, Pacquiao has not forgotten his “Kuya” who would always receive plane tickets and accommodation to watch his fights.
“Basta wala akong ibang schedule, lagi akong imbitado ni Sen. Manny. May personal number pa ako nu’n sa kanya.”
Pacquiao has done so many firsts in his storied career, and one of them is becoming the first sitting senator of any country to fight in world boxing championships.
Whatever happens to Pacquiao’s political career, Abainza is still convinced that the boxer politician may still get back on the ring at least one last time.