Boxing legends series: The twilight of Pacman’s career

I have a few Filipino friends, and I have to say – they’re the best people in the world.  Just don’t tell them their hero, Manny Pacquiao is done with boxing.  They’ll take it personally. 

Image source: thenational.ae

But seriously though, Philippine and world boxing legend Manny Pacquiao doesn’t have anything left to prove.  He’s the only 8-division world champion and one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of his generation.  Sure, he’s suffered some losses, the latest of which was from a very controversial decision against Jeremy Horn.  But he’s also had that glorious finish, knocking out Lucas Matthysse in his last bout.

Image source: wsj.com

Pacman is no longer the invincible “Mexecutioner” that he once was.  Even after delivering a beating on Matthysse, sports writers and boxing experts could see how his footwork had greatly diminished.  This can also be attributed to his letting go of Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach, which marked the end of an era for Pacman.

Whether you’re a Pacman fan or not, there’s no denying his impact on the sport.  However, there’s also no denying that his career is nearing its end.  He may have a few more exciting bouts in him, but these would only be against lower-tier fighters. 

While there are rumors now that Pacman may be having a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr., if this pushes through (and we all know this will probably only be for the money), it may well prove to be Pacman’s swansong. 

Hello there! My name is James DeVellis. I’m a college student majoring in sports business. My goal is to be a full-fledged sports writer someday. If you love sports, visit this blog.