Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Examining Likelihood Pac-Man Fights After Retirement

The great Manny Pacquiao called it a day following his unanimous-decision victory over Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.

He had already said it would be his final fight, and he reiterated the point following his impressive triumph, per the Guardian's Bryan Armen Graham: "Yes, I am retired. I want to go home to my family and serve the people. I love the fans and thank them for all the support they’ve given me."

A two-term congressman in his native Philippines, Pac-Man now plans to run for a senate seat in next month's elections.

There are plenty, though, who believe the 37-year-old is hanging up his gloves prematurely.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael described Pacquiao's defeat of Bradley—in which he dropped the American in Rounds 7 and 9—as "a near-vintage performance."

Certainly, he looked better than he has in some time, almost a year on from his defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder.

HBO Boxing's Jim Lampley bemoaned the idea that Saturday's bout could have been Pacquiao's last:

And it may well not be. Boxers are infamous for their inability to stick to their word on retirement, and any proclamation from a fighter calling it a day has to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

It is no different with Pacquiao, who hinted directly after his victory that he could be open to making a comeback, per Rafael:

His trainer, Freddie Roach, even suggested WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford as his potential next opponent, per Top Rank Boxing:

Pacquiao does not need to return for the money, having taken his career earnings to $500 million with the Bradley fight, per Forbes' Kurt Badenhausen.

However, the lure of the ring may prove too much for a man whose rise from abject poverty in the Philippines to global superstar has been the result of boxing.

There are a number of potential options out there for the eight-division champion. ESPN's Brian Campbell suggested a potential fifth fight with Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez:

While Pacquiao is currently officially retired and is set to focus on his political career, the post-fight comments from him and his team suggest that the boxing world may not have seen the last of him.

Based on Saturday's evidence, he still has the ability, and the desire, to fight at the top level and continue his glittering career for a couple of more years yet.