Manny Pacquiao Announces Retirement From Boxing: Thank You For All The Wonderful Memories

Manny Pacquiao Announces Retirement From Boxing: Thank You For All The Wonderful Memories

Manny Pacquiao‘s time in the ring is officially over.

Yesterday evening (Tuesday, Sept. 28th), Manny Pacquiao announced that he was retiring. He made the announcement in a 14-minute-long video uploaded to social media. In the video, Manny Pacquiao–speaking both English and Filipino–thanked his supporters and touched on various highlights of his career, such as winning 12 world titles in eight different weight divisions. Notably, Manny Pacquiao is the only eight-division world champion in history.

In his announcement, Pacquiao said:

“I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao. Goodbye boxing. It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today I am announcing my retirement. I never thought that this day would come.”

He continued, reflecting on how boxing changed his life. For context, Manny Pacquiao grew up poor in the Philippines and used boxing as a means to break the cycle of poverty.

“Thank you for changing my life. When my family was desperate, you gave us hope, you gave me the chance to fight my 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 lives.”

He shared the video on Twitter, writing:

“To the greatest fans and the greatest sport in the world, thank you! Thank you for all the wonderful memories. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m at peace with it. Chase your dreams, work hard, and watch what happens. Good bye boxing.”

Manny Pacquiao also uploaded the announcement to Instagram. You can watch it down below:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao)

As Manny Pacquiao retires from boxing, he will continue to be involved in his home country’s politics. Since 2016, he has served as a senator for the Philippines, and he officially announced he would run in the country’s upcoming 2022 presidential election.

What do you think about Manny Pacquiao retiring from boxing? Comment down below to let us know.

[VIA]