Manny Pacquiao: Retiring Before Fighting Mayweather Would Sully Pac-Man's Legacy

Manny Pacquiao has hinted he is considering retirement sooner than later, making it even more unlikely that he'll ever have the super fight against Floyd Mayweather the boxing world craves.

And if he retires before fighting Mayweather, it will seriously tarnish an otherwise brilliant legacy.

But first, to the talk of Pacquiao's retirement, from Allen V. Estabillo of MindaNews.com:

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Pacquiao disclosed over the weekend that he is seriously leaning on retiring from boxing after his scheduled June 9 World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title fight against American brawler Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Hindi maganda na nagse-share ako ng salita ng Panginoon tapos nananakit ako ng kapwa (It’s not right that I share God’s word and at the same time hurt other people),” he told reporters after gracing the oath-taking of newly-promoted personnel of the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion in Maasim town in Sarangani.

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It's admirable that Pac-Man would retire from the sport in an effort to give back more and focus on a “Bible-centered” life if that is his conviction.

And he already boasts an impressive boxing resume and 54-3-2 lifetime record, so he doesn't have much left he can prove.

But wouldn't that resume still feel hollow if he didn't at least fight Mayweather? (I feel Mayweather's legacy would be tarnished if the two didn't fight as well, though less so if Pacquiao chooses to retire first).

He doesn't even need to win the fight to preserve his legacy—Pacquiao has already entrenched himself as one of the finest fighters of all time, and losing to an excellent fighter in Mayweather wouldn't change that—but not fighting Mayweather would always come up when discussing his legacy.

He would be remembered as much for what he didn't do as as for what he did accomplish, and no athlete ever wants that.

So don't retire before giving us the super fight we all want, Manny.

Your legacy might be riding on it.

Hit me up on Twitter—I'm #Linning.