Manny Pacquiao's storied boxing career may soon be coming to an end.
Pacquiao suffered his first loss in four years on Saturday as Yordenis Ugas came away with an upset unanimous decision win to retain his WBA “super” welterweight championship. The former eight-division world champion was sluggish throughout the fight, as he landed a mere 16 percent of his punches compared to Ugas' notable 37 percent mark.
Following the loss, speculation ramped up on whether this may have been the final fight of Pacquiao's Hall of Fame boxing career. He swayed away from fueling such talk during his post-fight interview with FOX Sports, but now, he is currently leaning towards hanging up his gloves.
In his post-fight press conference, Pacquiao hinted that his time in the ring may be all over now.
“In the future, you might not see Manny Pacquiao again fight in the ring,” Pacquiao said. “I don’t know. But, for how many decades, I’m happy with what I’ve done in boxing. I contributed a record and brought boxing to the top, and especially, brought honor to my country, the Filipino people.”
As Pacquiao further noted to ESPN's Bernardo Osuna, he is currently leaning towards retirement by a “60/40” number.
“Right now I’m probably thinking about retirement… 60/40.”
After his loss to Yordenis Ugas, @MannyPacquiao told @OsunaESPN that he’s leaning toward retiring. #PacquiaoUgas pic.twitter.com/cu5XeOx4YW
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) August 22, 2021
Pacquiao has had one career that very few in boxing have ever matched. As mentioned, he is the only eight-division champion in the history of the sport and has won an astounding 12 major titles. From the 62 career professional victories to the grueling battles against the likes of Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez, he has left his mark in boxing.
Whether he plans to still take on Errol Spence Jr. or call it a career, Pacquiao's legacy is well already established as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters ever.
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