He is the first and only boxer to win world titles in eight weight divisions.
Manny Pacquiao, the boxer, has nothing more to prove in the ring. For more than two decades, he wowed the boxing world by beating the some of the best in different weight divisions and earned the nod as Boxer of the Decade.
The legendary Pacquao is still at it, although his gallant stand fell short against an Olympic bronze medalist, who scored a masterful 12-round unanimous decision win in their match for the World Boxing Association welterweight title.
Has Father Time, finally caught up with Pacquiao?
Some boxing experts and a lot of netizens think so. Messages urging Pacquiao to retire have flooded the social media.
Someone on Twitter posted that Pacquiao “should retire (from the ring) and attend to this Senate tasks.”
Another with a Twitter handle Tom Cruz begs Pacquiao to retire “before you totally lose your magic. And back off from politics.”
One of the most compelling messages came from one of Pacquiao’s top fans, Ronald Mascarinas of Bounty Agri Ventures, which happens to be one of the Pacquiao’s corporate sponsors.
“I am truly heartbroken by the loss. Pacman fought bravely like the true champion he is, but admittedly, Yordenis Ugas made the legend look human today. Father Time has finally caught up with our champ, yet, still, this is a proud swan song for our country’s pride.”
Mascarinas added that Paquiao has already served his country well and he “deserves to slow down now and enjoy the fruits of your labor with your loved ones.”
Glenn Mondol, one of Pacquiao’s former padwork trainers, posted “Parang nagpaparamdam na ang panahon. Kailangan ng isabit ang gloves.”
In his tweet, World Boxing Organization super featherweight champion Jamel Herring said Pacquiao has nothing more to prove. “I won’t say, “he dared to be great”, because he was already great before the opening bell of this fight.”
International boxing judge Alfie Jacosol suggested that if Pacquiao will pursue higher political office, “it would be wise to stick with it and let the young fighters take the center stage.”
“He has already defied father time so many times and not to push it to the limit. (Retirement) would be a wise decision for both his health and his family.”
At 42 years old, Pacquiao still fought like a world-class pugilist. He apologized for his loss, even if he didn’t need to.
But when asked after the bout what he thinks about retiring, Pacquiao is still unsure of what lies ahead.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Let me rest first.” Will he run for President? “I will make a final announcement next month.”