A new Manny Pacquiao is taking form before our eyes, and it will be interesting to see what that means for his boxing career. Once known for his extramarital affairs, gambling, and drinking habits, Pacquiao is returning to his religious roots learned when he was growing up. Pac Man was recently named the “Bible ambassador” of Church of the Philippines. He has been open about his desire to change his ways and please God, which is why Manny recently gave away all his fighting roosters and sold his shares in a casino and nightclub. Now, he may be considering retiring from boxing.
“It’s not right that I share God’s word and at the same time hurt other people,” he told reporters over the weekend according to a translation by MindaNews.com. “I’ve gained more than enough blessings these past years so I think it’s time for me to return the favor.”
Pacquiao is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Timothy Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas. In case you have forgotten, he has yet to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. The two have flirted with the idea for years and thrown a bit of trash talk back and forth recently, but this could add yet another complication to the mix.
Pacquiao’s mother reportedly has always urged him to give up boxing and focus on business and politics. Promoter Bob Arum says his fighter plans to retire in 2013 and run for governor of Sarangani province. With Pacquiao rediscovering God and not wanting to hurt people, it looks like more of a possibility than ever that the fight we’ve all been waiting for may never happen.
