Few more years from now whether we like it or not Manny Pacquiao will retire from boxing. And that is why, Manny Pacquiao hopes boxing fans will remember his ring exploits for many years to come. Pacquiao said, he wishes that his story would inspire people the way he was inspired by boxing greats that came before him.
“To be considered an all-time great is very important to me,” Pacquiao said.
“Hopefully my story can inspire people to achieve their dreams. When I was growing up, watching Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr, and Larry Holmes fight inspired me to work harder and to become better. They still do inspire me. They were great. They were my heroes.”
“I never dreamed that I would achieve as much as I have. I wouldn’t even dare to dream of winning world titles in eight different weight divisions. My goal when I began boxing was to earn enough money for my family to make their lives easier and to win a world title – to be considered the best in my weight division. But as opportunities presented themselves – world title fights at higher weights against superstars – I worked harder and studied harder.”
“Every victory was an incentive to do better in my next fight. I believe it is the responsibility of every boxer to put on a good show for the fans and themselves. It’s the only way to grow and invest in the sport. Making boxing fans happy is a legacy that would make me proud.“
This is why he remains hopeful that he would still be able to fight one of his greatest rivals, the controversial Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, he admitted that making the fight happen would only depend on Mayweather.
“Will the fight ever happen? It’s up to Floyd. I hope it does. I’m a competitor and I enjoy a challenge… As long as I continue fighting I will remain hopeful that the fight will take place,” Pacquiao added.
Pacquiao said he thought he could make the dream fight come true three years ago, when his camp first negotiated with Mayweather’s group. He said Mayweather agreed to everything they asked for. But the controversial boxer suddenly came up with the drug testing issue, which has become Mayweather’s “excuse” through the years.
“He no longer wants to split the pay-per-view revenue with me equally, something he agreed to in our first negotiation,” said Pacquiao.
“The only thing preventing a fight between Floyd Mayweather and me is Floyd Mayweather.”
