Getting beaten up in exhibition should prove to Pacquiao it's over
And other random thoughts: old man fight and young man fight I need to see; Canelo-Berlanga; Usyk status secure with or without all the belts; a few dream bouts; is Loma ducking Tank?; tons more
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A hefty dose of boxing random thoughts…
After watching 45-year-old Manny Pacquiao basically get his butt kicked by Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in a three-round boxing exhibition on a RIZN card on Sunday in Saitama, Japan, one thing is very clear: It is over for Pacquiao inside the ring.
He had not fought since losing a decision to Yordenis Ugas in a welterweight title fight three years ago and announcing his retirement. But he has wanted to come back for a notable fight. There were talks of a Conor Benn bout that went nowhere with the Saudis and more recently conversations with PBC about challenging WBC titlist Mario Barrios as soon as this fall.
But time waits for nobody and Pacquiao’s time as a fighter is very clearly gone. To match him with Barrios, or any top opponent, at this point would be malpractice.
Pacquiao is a legend. An icon. A beloved global figure. An all-time great first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s the only fighter to win world titles in eight divisions. A former pound-for-pound king. One of the most exciting fighters to lace on gloves. And one of the highest paid fighters of all time.
He fought everyone of consequence for about 20 years, made many great fights and earned hundreds of millions of dollars. He also rebounded from losses. But he has taken a lot of damage along the way and it takes its toll.
Against the 28-year-old Anpo, Pacquiao struggled. He looked old and slow and he got hit got hit way too much by a guy who is not even a boxer by trade. For him to continue to fight at this point seems entirely unnecessary.
He shouldn’t need the money and he sure doesn’t need to get hit in the head anymore.
One of the greatest joys of my career was covering Pacquiao since he first arrived for his first fight in the United States in 2001. I love Pacquiao and I don’t want him to get hit anymore. It’s not my decision, obviously, but, hopefully, after what I witnessed on Sunday he and his team will also realize it is over.
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