It’s the end of an era for boxing’s first and only eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao. He announced his retirement on Tuesday night with a reflective, retirement video.
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over,” Manny said in the video. “Today, I am announcing my retirement. I never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao.”
The video, posted across his social platforms, shows visuals of Manny speaking into the camera. He reflects heavily on his notable accomplishments in the brutal sport, while also thanking his family, team and fans.
“Even me, I’m amazed at what I have done,” Manny said. “The only boxer to hold world titles in four different decades and became the oldest boxer to win a world welterweight title, an amazing accomplishment.”
Manny will go down in history as one of the greatest boxers. According to ESPN, he secured 12 world titles throughout the span of his career. He won his first title at just 108 pounds and eventually fought his way and captured a title at 154 pounds.
Manny has also gained recognition in his sport while outside of the ring. ESPN reports that the Boxing Writers Association of America named him fighter of the year twice. He also even crossed the athlete line into media. During the peak of his career, Manny reportedly worked the talk show circuit.
Still, no accomplishments compare to what Manny has done as a boxer. In addition to earning hundreds of millions of dollars, he’s “defeated five Hall of Famers.” One of his most memorable fights happened in 2008 against Oscar De La Hoya. Manny punished Oscar and delivered a technical knock out in round eight of the fight. It was his debut in welterweight, where ESPN says he had “his biggest commercial success.”
Boxing fans also remember his match against fellow boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. Together, their fight broke revenue records selling approximately 4.6 million units on pay-per-view.
As for his next journey, Manny hopes to impact the political world in the Philippines. While he’s already a senator, he recently announced that he’ll be running for president in 2022.
“Goodbye, boxing. Thank you for changing my life,” Manny said. “You gave me the chance to find a way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world. Because of you, I have been given the courage to change more life.
Check out the full video below:
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