A true fighter, Philippine boxing icon and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao said he is ready to fight again after losing by knockout to Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez.In the sixth round of their non-title welterweight bout on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Marquez finally got his first win over Pacquiao in four attempts.
The 39-year-old Mexican lost twice and drawn once in his three previous fights against the 33-year-old Pacquiao.
With just a second left in the round, Marquez's stinging right hand sent Pacquiao face first to the canvas.
In the post-fight interview, Pacquiao hinted he was not going to retire anytime soon, saying he will rest for a while but "after a few months, back to training and back to fight."
Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum also remained open to the possibility of a fifth fight against Marquez.
"Why not? People love this action." said Arum. "This fight will go down in history as a ring classic. If they wanna fight again, why not?"
Pacquiao too was willing to face Marquez again. "No problem. That's up to my promoter," the Philippine congressman said.
On being knocked out, he said that was part of boxing. Pacquiao admitted that he lost after becoming overconfident during the fight.
Second loss in a row
Pacquiao, who will turn 34 on December 17, is the first eight-division world champion, and the first to win the Lineal Championship in four different weight classes.
He is a three-time The Ring and BWAA "Fighter of the Year" (for 2006, 2008, and 2009) and the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2009 and 2011.
Pacquiao was also named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
However, his loss to Marquez is already his second in row after losing to American Tim Bradley in June this year.
The financial magazine Forbes said Pacquiao's loss "could negate a $100 million future payday for Manny which would be earned from a dream match-up against Floyd Mayweather that some estimate is worth $250 million in PPV (pay-per-view) sales."
According to a Forbes estimate, Pacquiao earned $62 million between July 2011 and June 2012, including around $6 million in endorsements.
'Boxing is my passion'
In an earlier interview with the news site LA Times, Pacquiao said "Boxing is my passion. Public service is my calling.”
He also explained why he had a strong motivation to help others.
“I know the life of nothing. I know what those who ask me for money are feeling," he said.
Pacquiao started his boxing career as a no-name boxer training at a shabby gym. He never gave up on his dreams and he is now among the richest men in the Philippines.
Despite his success, Pacquiao remains humble and approachable.
Recently, his wife Jinkee recently brought in a group of 20 friends who wanted to exchange pleasantries with Pacquiao during his training.
He didn't decline, causing the delay of one sparring session.
Some weeks ago, Pacquiao let a pastor preach to him and his friends until 2:00 a.m. before a training day.
This infuriated his trainer Freddie Roach who wanted to keep Pacquiao in top shape.
Fierce rivals
The Pacquiao-Marquez rivalry is said to be one of the biggest in the world of boxing.
Days before their fight on Sunday, during Pacquiao's training session at the University of Las Vegas oval track, the two rivals shared the track while training, according to a report of GMA Network's “News to Go” program.
They didn't talk with each other but Pacquiao shook the hand of Nacho Beristain, Marquez's trainer.
Although Marquez became bulkier, Pacquiao said that he wasn't the slightest bit nervous pointing out that boxing wasn't a body building contest.
Marquez on the other hand said he was more than ready for their fourth bout and that he trained not only his strength but also his speed.
