Pacquiao is facing Bradley for the third time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada since his controversial split decision loss to the Palm Springs star during their first encounter in the same venue in 2012.
“I’m so happy to be hanging up my gloves after this fight,” said Pacquiao in a press conference at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
“I’m sure I will feel sad but that’s life. You can’t keep on fighting all the time. But it’s time I think,” he added.
Pacquiao cited the reasons why he chose boxing for his career and now he wants to end it by serving his country and the Filipino people.
“I started out in boxing because I wanted to help my family, my mother. Now I’m ending my boxing career because I want to help my countrymen, the Filipino people. I’m ending because I want to serve the people.” Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao is set to start campaigning to boost his chances of winning in the May 9 national elections in the Philippines where he is aspiring to become one of the 12 winning senatorial candidates.
In the last survey, Pacquiao ranks between 7th and 10th place in the survey conducted by Pulse Asia for ABS-CBN News last Nov. 8-14, 2015.
While Pacquiao has been a consistent winning candidate since he filed his official candidacy, his ranking could change dramatically when the official election campaign starts on Feb.9.
Despite Pacquiao’s insistence that his April 9 bout will be his farewell fight, fans as well as his longtime trainer Freddie Roach are saying it won’t be his last.
