Is Manny Really Retired?

Stuff to ponder...

First things first - Manny Pacquiao looked terrific last night. Criticize all you want, if it were anyone but Manny, his showing would be universally lauded - as it pretty much is already. Before we go any further, though, let's give some props here to Tim Bradley, as well. The man is an amazing fighter in his own right. The bottom line is there's simply no shame or detriment in losing to certain timelessly elite individuals, and yeah, Manny is one of those.

So...is the man truly retired as he claims? Or almost claims? It's hard to tell, really. Truth be told, it seems like PacMan's family wants him out of the ring for good. What's more, he's running for a pretty high office back home in the Philippians. If he wins - and I suspect he will, though I haven't read any recent polls - it will take a whole lot of his time.

Still, as I've written elsewhere, boxing is like a siren song for aging fighters. It just keeps luring them in towards the rocks with promises of future accolades and copious amounts of cash. Let's face it, there has to be a certain rush to winning at a Manny Pacquiao level, as well. Then, of course, there's a certain Las Vegas native who himself has claimed to be retired. The two men have met before. Could it be possible that -

The truth is that one never knows. Manny-Floyd was widely considered a dud last year, true, but when aging fighters like Mayweather and Pacquiao continue to be better than their younger peers, it's only natural that people call for a second act. I suspect that Manny-Floyd II won't happen, though. The whole thing would just prove too knotty and headachey to pull off a second time.

That doesn't mean Manny is necessarily finished, however. There's a lot of talented young blood he could show up right now, after all. Should he though? Sometimes it's best to do what's right for oneself and one's family rather than one's fans.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.