EDITORIAL - Pacquiao has nothing more to prove

Manny Pacquiao cruised to his 60th victory in his storied boxing career via a technical knockout of Argentinian Lucas Matthysse in a seemingly lopsided championship bout Sunday at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The convincing win earned the Filipino icon the regular World Boxing Association welterweight belt, his 12th championship title. The Matthysse knockout was also the first for Pacquiao in nine years. The last time Pacquiao scored a knockout was when he stopped Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in the eleventh round in 2009.

Based on his last performance, many witnessed a vintage Pacquiao displaying his usual skills that would force his opponents into submission. He himself declared he is back in circulation and that he is far from over as he will continue doing his passion in the ring.

His recent victory has put Pacquiao back to being relevant following his controversial defeat to Jeff Horn in Australia last year. He will be again the talk of the town as among those who could beat the likes of Terrence Crawford or Errol Spence, two of the top fighters in his division.

However, at 39, the greatest Asian boxer ever is no longer the same old pugilist who used to knocking out opponents. We have to admit Pacquiao has already slipped past his prime and his desire to make himself available against those elite young fighters could be a very dangerous decision.

Yes, Pacquiao still has enough gas left in his tank. He is still a force to reckon with as far as his skills are concerned. But for how long can Pacquiao, who will turn 40 in December, sustain his competitive form?

President Rodrigo Duterte and some fellow senators were right in calling for Pacquiao to retire after the Matthysse fight. Pacquiao has nothing more to prove in his decorated career. He is already a boxing legend and a sports icon whose exploits have captivated millions around the world.