Retirement Narrows Window for Much-Awaited Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Match

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has recently announced his intention to retire from boxing in 2013. The inevitable and compelling reason for an early retirement is politics.

Pacquiao's three-year term as Congressman representing Sarangani province in Southern Philippines will expire in 2013 and instead of running for reelection, he has intimated he will run for Governor of the province.

“I’m running for governor in 2013. It’s hard to say when I will retire but I think it will be hard for me to be an executive and continue boxing,” Pacquiao said, responding to a question on retirement.

Pacquiao's plan to run for Governor could mean he will retire before the May 2013 Philippine elections—which means he may still have one more fight for early 2013.

Since 2011 is done for the Filipino boxing star, he may try to fight three times (instead of his usual two in a year) in 2012. If that happens, he still has four fights before retiring for good.

The most appropriate question would now be: Will Floyd Mayweather be one of Pacquiao's four opponents before he says adieu to boxing?

Mayweather has barely a year to decide whether he will continue his flourishing boxing career and eventually retire without facing pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. 

Right after the press conference held in Los Angeles for his scheduled fight on September 17 against Victor Ortiz, Mayweather said he is absolutely fighting Manny Pacquiao.

"We only want to fight the biggest and the best out there, and Manny Pacquiao, yes, you're next," Mayweather said.

Still, Mayweather has recently said Pacquiao has to take the Olympic-style random drug test he has demanded since the start of the first fight negotiations almost two years ago.

On the other hand, Pacquiao's Promoter Bob Arum said there are no more issues left as everything seems to have been agreed upon including the drug testing protocols and purse sharing.

But on the drug testing issue, Arum clarified the desired testing procedure concerning the agencies that will do the tests. According to Arum, the agencies include the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), adding that USADA can't do drug testing in the Philippines. 

"USADA can only handle drug testing in the United States. The USADA can’t go to the Philippines, and that's where Manny will do the first part of his training camp," Arum said.

"Because of that, a Filipino laboratory working under the approval of and procedures of WADA will conduct the drug testing while Pacquiao is in the Philippines."

Certainly, Mayweather will make his fans happy by accepting Pacquiao's challenge to face him before millions of boxing fans who have waited too long for the worlds' most wanted fight to happen.

From the most recent statements by Mayweather and Pacquiao camps, it seems the fight everyone in the world wants to see may finally happen next year.

However, Mayweather will have to prove to boxing fans he isn't scared or afraid to face the Filipino politician, otherwise he will remain an incomplete fighter and will perhaps be remembered only as a paper champion for ducking the world's most popular and sought-after boxing champion.