Manny Pacquiao doesn’t plan on retiring following Horn rematch

Manny Pacquiao is not ready to retire. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum confirmed earlier this month that the Filipino superstar is seeking a rematch with Jeff Horn, which Pacquiao has a contractual right to pursue. But that’s not all, Pacquiao, wants to continue fighting even after his expected rematch with Horn, which could take place in November.

“Manny doesn’t plan on retiring yet,” Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, told FightHub TV last week. “This will not be his last fight.”

The former eight-division world champion and a current senator in the Philippines met Horn on July 1 in Brisbane, Australia. Although Pacquiao was a shell of himself, most thought he had won the fight clearly, but Horn was awarded a unanimous decision and Pacquiao’s WBO World welterweight title in a huge upset.

Pacquiao is no longer the explosive speed demon he was once was. The formidable punching power that came along with the fast hands is long gone; he hasn’t scored a knockout since 2009, and he looks slower in each succeeding bout.

Although it’s understandable that Pacquiao would want to finish his career on a high-note by avenging the loss to Horn, it doesn’t make much sense for him to continue past that.

According to ESPN, Arum is planning on having unified super-lightweight champion Terence Crawford, 29, travel to Australia to have a front-row view of the Pacquiao-Horn rematch, which implies that he may face the winner.

It’s a scary thought to imagine Pacquiao in the ring against one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound boxers at this stage of his career. It shouldn’t happen, but if it does – it won’t be pretty for Pacquiao. Fight Nights.com predicts a brutal KO win for Crawford in five.