While Pacquiao can start campaigning early next year, he cannot devote his full attention to it because he has to train for his last fight, tentatively scheduled for April 9.
After the fight, Pacquiao will have one full month to sell his political platform to the electorate in his quest for a six-year term as a senator.
“Manny told me this would be his last fight, and I’m not sad about it, because he’s going on to a political career which will require a lot of mental acuity, so you don’t want him to stay in boxing too long,” Arum said. “If he stays in boxing a little too long, his mental faculties might be somewhat impaired,” he added.
Arum also talked about Pacquiao’s long term political career beyond his term as senator and why he needs to prepare for it.
“There are hundreds of congressmen, but if he wins the senate seat he has to be there to do the work,” Arum said. “They do the real work in the senate in the Philippines, not just make a lot of bulls— speeches like they do in the congress. It’s a real job, and if Manny is serious about wanting to be president, these six years in the senate would be like an audition and for him to show his people that he really is a serious politician.”
Regarding Pacquiao’s opponent selection for his last fight, Arum said he will be talking to possible challengers to give Pacquiao detailed information about them so that he and his Canadian adviser Michael Koncz can make a fair decision.
“My deal with Manny is that after I have my conversations with all the likely contenders, I go to Manny and [adviser] Michael [Koncz] and lay everything out and let them pick who Manny wants to fight,” Arum said. “I gather information, I explain to them the details of each deal, and if they ask my opinion I give them my opinion.”
Earlier, Arum bared his shortlist which included Amir Khan, Kell Brook, Terence Crawford, Lucas Matthyssee and Juan Manuel Marquez.
From this list, only Crawford and Brook are still in contention as Khan has opted out of the ongoing talks while Marquez said he is no longer interested in a fifth fight with Pacquiao. In the case of Matthysse, his inclusion in the list ended when he lost to Viktor Postol last Oct. 3.
Aside from Crawford and Brook, a rematch with Timothy Bfadley is also being considered provided he wins in his upcoming fight against Brandon Rios.
Asked about the possible venue for Pacquiao’s last fight, Arum said it could happen again in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“There’s always been a lot of talk,” Arum said, “but all it’s been is talk, so my feeling is we would do it in Las Vegas.”
