Will This Be Manny Pacquiao's Last Roundup?

One of the big problems with being a boxing fan is that we almost never believe anything we're told by the major figures in boxing.

There is a good reason for our cynicism. Boxing promoters throughout the history of the sport are about as believable as a junkie on heroin.

How do we know a boxing promoter is lying? Because their lips are moving.

That is why very few boxing fans believe that Manny Pacquiao's showdown with Josh Clottey this Saturday could actually be the Pac-Man's last fight. 

The boxer's handlers have been hinting for over a year that Pac-man is close to hanging them up and Freddie Roach was quoted last week as saying this could very well be Pacquiao's last fight. 

Boxing fans don't want to believe that one of boxing's most exciting performers ever will walk away from the sport in his prime. And they do not believe he would walk away from a possible $40-50 million payday against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. somewhere down the line.

But therein lies the rub. So far, the Mayweather camp and the Pacquiao's people have never been able to get on the same page. And unless it happens soon Manny will walk away from boxing.

Manny already has a solid place in the pantheon of boxing greats. Floyd, Jr. fans like to dispute this but the BWAA awarding Manny their Fighter of the Decade award back in January showed the world what the boxing press thinks of Pacquiao and his accomplishments.

And his long-term political goals are sincere. Manny has already filed paperwork to run for Congress in his native Philippines. 

Manny really wants to be a leader for his people. He wants to get his country on track. 

Admittedly, there are a lot of variables involved.

First of all, Joshua Clottey will definitely show up for the fight in Dallas.

He's a legitimate welterweight will a big punch and he's never been knocked out. In his last fight he gave Miguel Cotto everything he could handle in a fight that some observers thought Clottey won. 

A Pacquiao win is far from guaranteed. This is boxing after all. 

Then there's the election in the Philippines. 

Manny would seem like a shoe in to win any election he enters in his native country, but when he ran for congress in 2007 he suffered a lopsided election defeat to incumbent representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio. In that election his opponents argued that voting for Manny would take him away from boxing. 

Finally, there is the Floyd Mayweather, Jr.-Shane Mosley fight in May.

Money May is already predicting a win over Mosley and a win at the PPV box office. And he has started negotiating based on those wins.

In an interview just last month he is already demanding a 65-35 split which will put an end to any Mayweather-Pacquiao fight right there.

Then there is the distinct possibility that Sugar Shane could pull off the upset. If that happens, Manny will have to decide if he wants to fight Mosley in a fight that will most likely bring in much less money than a PBF-Pac showdown. 

Or he could fight a one loss Mayweather.

There is also the possibility of a close bout between Mayweather and Mosley and the two fighters immediately sign for a rematch. 

Any or all of these scenarios will bring Manny closer to retiring.

Manny does not have any interest in hanging around two or three years fighting the number three and four contenders for much less money while waiting around for Floyd. 

He has even less interest in hanging around until his skills diminish and lesser fighters have a chance to beat him. He doesn't need boxing the way some other fighters do.

I'm still hoping we'll get to watch Floyd Mayweather, Jr. get it on with Pacquiao in the ring next fall. But there's a solid chance we might be seeing Manny for the last time this Saturday night.