He can beat many men if he wants to fight again. Pacquiao was a great fighter, and one of the greatest of all time. He would accept any challenge, move up in weight seemingly randomly to take on the baddest men who signed a contract to fight him. Pacquiao wasn’t accused of passing on a challenge or ducking an elite fighter.
Errol Spence Jr. was his opponent on Saturday night. It was his plan to fight him, but Spence was diagnosed with detached retinas and was forced to withdraw from the fight. It wouldn’t have been so beautiful if it had been Spence and not Yordenis Urgas standing in front of the Filipino legend in front of a crowd that numbered 17,438 at T-Mobile Arena.
Ugas proved too much for the Filipino senator. The Cuban, who lives in Las Vegas, retained the WBA welterweight title from Pacquiao. He gave it to him in January with a unanimous decision. Ugas was 115-112 by Judges Dave Moretti, Steve Weisfeld and Patricia MorseJarman. Yahoo Sports had it 115-112 for Ugas.
Given Ugas’ physicality, size, and boxing style, this fight would have been difficult to Pacquiao even five years ago. He kept Pacquiao away from the inside and did a lot of damage by pumping his jab early. He dropped his right hand more in the second half and landed some good jabs that rattled Pacquiao.
Pacquiao’s career was a perfect example of this. He never gave up and continued to push forward. His legs gave up on him, and that was a devastating loss for Pacquiao as a fighter whose feet were his difference-maker.
They might have been able to scrape Pacquiao if it had been unbeaten Spence, WBC-IBF champion. It would be the same if Terence Crawford was the WBO champion Pacquiao mentioned earlier in the week.
His heart is huge, inside and out. He has literally given away millions of the money he won in his ring to the less fortunate and those who robbed him blind.
His heart is what made him such an inspirational fighter. He began his career at 16 years old, so light that he had to eat rocks to lose weight.
He won more than he lost, he is now 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts. And he always put his heart out to put on an entertaining show. In each of the four decades he held a world title, he was also the only man to do so. He is the only man who has ever won titles in eight weight categories. He was also the lineal champion in five weight classes.
Pacquiao stated that he has done a lot of boxing, and boxing has done much for him. “I look forward spending time with my family, and thinking about the future of boxing,” Pacquiao said.
There’s no thinking. Pacquiao is not one to give up and take on an easy opponent. To give him victory in his last fight? Nah.
You saw Saturday what many of these boxing promoters aren’t getting: Men over 42 don’t belong at the ring. This is a sport for young people. And unlike golf, where a bad day leads to an unsightly 85, a bad boxing night leads to a subdural hemorhage, detached retina, and other serious consequences.
Pacquiao looked in great shape, as he has been in almost every fight of his career. Tens of millions of men over 40 would be happy to have Pacquiao’s body, which he carried to the ring Saturday. It is likely that millions of 20-year-olds feel the same way.
His legs are now gone, and they are crucial for him to set up his punches and move away with his power. He’s light on his feet, but his calves look like grapefruits. He could also move fast and easily to change his feet to throw –and connect — with power shots.
He doesn’t have to suffer the abuse he requires.
He said, “In the future, you might not see Manny Pacquiao fighting in the ring again.” “I don’t know.”
He has a job more important than boxing right now. The Philippines is plagued with problems. It’s his job as a politician to fix them. He can’t do this effectively as a part timer.
He owes 100 percent to his people in his new line, whether it’s staying in the Senate, seeking the presidency, or working as a civil for human rights.
He was a great fighter and had an amazing run.
He has nothing to show and no one to impress.
Boxing was something he loved deeply and it made him so happy to share his love with others.
But it’s now. Manny Pacquiao has no reason to slip again between those ropes, gloves on his fingers.
His trainer, Freddie Roach is just one example of what happens to a fighter who hangs around too much.