Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers of all-time, cruising to championships in five different weight classes. But with his latest fight with Adrien Broner being every bit the circus that a Broner fight is known to be, it has to be asked why Pacquiao would rather continue boxing than retire as one of the best fighters to ever step into the ring.
Any time the potential retirement of Manny Pacquiao comes up, his financial situation immediately comes to mind. He has long been rumoured to be in dire financial straits, with his continued appearances in the ring said to be caused by the fact that he legitimately needs the funds. But given his status as a powerful figure in politics in his native Philippines, one would think that Pacquiao could find another way to exist without boxing.
From a boxing perspective, Pacquiao was one of the best fighters ever when he was in his prime. His speed combined with a decent amount of power led to just shy of 40 knockouts in his career. But that power and speed have both faded as his career has dragged on, and the memories of Pacquiao winning at the highest levels of the sport are beginning to give way to memories of him looking positively mortal against pedestrian fighters.
Outside of Mayweather, it would be hard to put together a list of opponents that Pacquiao could realistically face. He isn’t talented enough to fight the elites in the boxing world, but he is too good and commands too big a price tag to fight up-and-comers on the undercard of bigger fights. He could continue to grind out bouts against middling opponents, but would the hit to his legacy be worth the training and hard work that goes into it?
Manny Pacquiao used to fight in the biggest venues on pay-per-view against the biggest names in sports. Now he is fighting against fighters who failed to live up to their potential on free television. Eventually, Pacquiao is going to have to throw in the towel, and it might as well be now.