MANILA, Philippines — Dalawang laban bago tuluyang isabit ang kanyang boxing gloves at tutukan ang political career niya ang payo ni celebrated trainer Freddie Roach kay Filipino world eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, at pagkatapos nito ay puwede na siyang kumandidato bilang Pangulo ng Pilipinas matapos magretiro sa boxing.
“I’ve had discussions with Manny on having two more fights for his career and then maybe (stay) in the politician side of it,” wika ni Roach sa panayam ng BoxingScene.com. “Manny would like to fight a couple more times and then run for the presidency of his country. The first fighter to ever do that and it will be another part of his history and I think he will be really good at.”
Kasalukuyang suot ng 41-anyos na si Pacquiao ang World Boxing Association (WBA) world welterweight title na nakopo niya matapos talunin si American Keith Thurman via split decision noong Hulyo ng 2019 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hanggang ngayon ay wala pang pahayag si Pacquiao kung sino ang kanyang gustong labanan bago matapos ang taon. Ilan sa mga nababanggit na puwedeng sagupain ni Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) ay sina World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight titlist Terence Crawford (36-0-0, 27 KOs) at Mexican superstar Mikey Garcia (40-1-0, 30 KOs).
“We talked about opponents and a couple of names come up here, a couple of names come up there. There are a lot of names coming up and so forth,” ani Roach. “I kind of like Mikey Garcia. I think that’s a really, really good fight.”
Nilinaw ng 60-anyos na Hall of Fame trainer na si Pacquiao pa din ang magdedesisyon kung sino ang gusto niyang makatapat.