MANILA, Philippines — It seems that retirement is far from Manny Pacquiao’s mind as the Filipino superstar hinted of a rematch with Cuban tormentor Yordenis Ugas.
In a way, he described the slow but heavy-handed bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as someone he can beat anytime, anywhere.
“In my entire career, Ugas was one of the easiest opponents,” he told Lance Pugmire of The Athletic.
“(Ugas) only had one style, and I should’ve been able to easily move away. You’ve seen how I have moved in my fights before. I couldn’t move in this fight. My legs just stopped,” he added.
The Pacquiao that showed up last Sunday at the T-Mobile Arena was not the same boxer fight fans came to see.
The 42-year-old fighting senator said he was hampered by cramps on both legs. Whether they were caused by overtraining or by age, he couldn’t really tell after the fight.
“Too much hard work, training. I run in the mountains. I don’t know. We’re not young anymore,” Pacquiao said.
Three days after the fight, Pacquiao is up and about in Los Angeles, receiving visitors, playing chess, looking back at the fight and talking politics.
Filipino reporters eagerly sought an interview with Pacquiao last Wednesday in his rented home but left with a plane to catch.
“Yes, I can come back in January. I will see about it,” Pacquiao told The Athletic.
“I know I can rematch him (Ugas) if I want. I’ll just need to tell (Premier Boxing Champions head) Al Haymon. That would be no problem. I will think about it because I can’t believe that one of the easiest opponents I ever faced did that (to me),” Pacquiao added.
American trainer Freddie Roach is looking the other way.
“I have to see the day he retires. This could be it,” he said moments after the loss that came 20 years since he first met Pacquiao and master-minded the Filipino’s surge to global stardom.
But Buboy Fernandez, who hasn’t been on the same page with Roach lately, thinks Pacquiao has to do a rematch with Ugas.
“Dun lang matatapos yung career natin?” Fernandez told Pinoy scribes.
Pacquiao must be thinking that way, too.