Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has never been known to tell Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao what to do and from the looks of it, he doesn't intend to start now.
Apparently Arum respects the decision of Pacquiao on making his Apr. 9 fight with Timothy Bradley Jr. as his last one before he devotes his time to politics.
Pacquiao reiterated once again, via Philboxing.com, that his third meeting with "Desert Storm" is not to be marketed as his final fight and, hence, not retiring.
The Filipino lawmaker/boxer denied he ever said he was not retiring and this is his last one. With Pacquiao running for a senate seat, his time is likely to be eaten up attending senate sessions with the understanding that he will win in the coming national elections which will be held in May.
Based on surveys, Pacquiao is a shoe-in to make it to the magic 12 of possible senatorial bets.
But while Arum respects that decision, the doors are always open in case he decides to fight again. Arum believes that if Pacquiao turns out a good performance against Bradley (and wins), the hunger to continue fighting is a possibility.
Making it juicier is the fact that Pacquiao wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather retired last September 2015 and has not shown any sign of possibly returning to the ring for now.
Critics believe that a Mayweather fight will be one that will force Pacquiao to fight again. Seeing how their first meeting last May 2015 generated record-breaking revenue, a rematch is seen to come close to that despite the fact that many were left disappointed.
All hope of a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II is still in the air and this is perhaps what Arum is banking on. Also worth noting is that Pacquiao is still under contract with Top Rank until 2017, another reason why Arum feels that Pacquiao will not entirely turn his back on the sport.
