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MANILA,
July 1(PNA) – Millions of boxing fans will see more fights of
Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, perhaps climbing the
140-pound division.
The
newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion is not
entertaining any retirement plan yet despite an appeal of her loving
mother Dionisia for him to quit boxing.
”My
mother told me ‘tama na dong’ (stop boxing my son) but I said to her,
it’s not yet time to retire. I can still fight more,” the 29-year-old
Pacquiao said in a live phone patch interview with the 24-Oras news
program of GMA-7 network.
Pacquiao
refused to name his next opponent but his wife Jinkee reportedly
claimed her husband wanted to fight Ricky Hatton, the current
International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight (140-lb)
champion from England.
”He
wants to fight Hatton or another good fighter. Perhaps after Hatton, he
can quit boxing. But the final decision would still come from him. I
will just give him moral support,” Jinkee said in a gmanews.tv report.
Aside
from Hatton, the Pacquiao camp is reportedly entertaining the idea of
accepting the challenge of undefeated knockout artist Edwin Valero of
Venezuela.
Like she used to, Pacquiao’s mother stayed inside the prayer room instead of watching the fight of his son.
This
time, however, Aling (Mrs.) Dionisia collapsed after learning that
Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35KOs) knocked out David Diaz (36-2-1, 17KOs) in the
ninth round to become the first Asian boxer to win four world titles in
different weight divisions.
Aling
Dionisia regained her consciousness moments later and granted
interviews from the national and local media members, saying she was
hospitalized two weeks before the fight of his son.
Pacquiao
said he will return on July 4 and will stay in his hometown General
Santos City for one day to be with her family and relatives before
visiting the typhoon-ravaged areas in Western Visayas. (PNA) |
