WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman thinks that Manny Pacquiao has at least one more fight in him before retirement.
The 42-year-old Filipino senator fought last weekend against Yordenis Ugas at the weekend after the late withdrawal of IBF and WBC champion Errol Spence Jr., but lost to the WBA beltholder. The 35-year-old Cuban fighter was a convincing winner despite Pacquiao’s spirited performance.
Pacquiao has since suggested that leg cramps were at the heart of his defeat, but many observers believe that he is no longer able to perform as he did when younger, particularly as he had spent two years out of the ring since his 2019 win over Keith Thurman.
It has been suggested that he will stand for election as president in the Philippines in 2022, and Sulaiman believes there could be time for one last fight.
“Manny is legendary. He has specific accomplishments that put him right in the Hall of Fame, with records that will not be broken. This fight from Saturday is difficult to evaluate. It would be unfair to say that this is the real Manny Pacquiao," Sulaiman stated to The Mexican Herald, reported Boxing Scene.
"We do not know what he will decide: if he enters the race to be the president of his country and retires from boxing, or maybe he will seek that vindication [in the ring]. Two years of inactivity weighs a lot on any boxer, anyone who is out for two years is going to have effects and on top of that they change your opponent ten days before [the fight as well]... it is unfair to evaluate Manny's career based on this last performance," said Sulaiman.
“In my personal opinion, we haven't seen the last of Manny Pacquiao in the ring. He is a true icon of world sport and we wish him every success.”