By Dane McGuire
Boxing’s ‘Pac-Man’ has said goodbye to his in-ring career. Manny Pacquiao has released a statement roughly a month after his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas for the WBA super welterweight title.
Pacquiao tweeted a statement and video, saying:
“To the greatest fans and the greatest sport in the world, thank you! Thank you for all the wonderful memories. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m at peace with it. Chase your dreams, work hard, and watch what happens. Good bye boxing.”
The video below was posted to his official Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=external&v=392219462354820
In an additional statements, he said:
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today I am announcing my retirement. I never thought that this day would come.”
“Thank you for changing my life when my family was desperate,” he said. “You give us hope. You give me the chance to fight our way out of poverty. Because of you I was able to inspire people all over the world. Because of you I have been given the courage to change more lives.”
“I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life,” Pacquiao said Wednesday. “I just heard the final bell. The boxing is over.“
As MMAFighting noted, he is the only boxer in history to hold world championships across four decades, he is the boxer in history to hold world championships across four decades, beating Keith Thurman to capture the WBA super welterweight title in July 2019.
Outside of boxing, Pacquiao has been a senator since 2016 in his native country of the Philippines. He now intends to run for the country’s presidency.
“I boldly accept the challenge of running as PRESIDENT of the Philippines,” he tweeted. “We need progress. We need to win against poverty. We need government to serve our people with integrity, compassion and transparency. The time is now. I am ready to rise to the challenge of leadership.”
News outlet ABS-CBN recently reported Pacquiao submitted his COC at Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City, where the Commission on Elections set up a tent to accept certificates filing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.