Manny Pacquiao: 7 Reasons He Shouldn't Retire After Beating Marquez

Manny Pacquiao may have just gotten off a thrilling slugfest with Juan Manuel Marquez, but fans are already focusing on the Pacman's next fight and who it should be against.

Of course, Pacquiao also has a career outside the ring as a politician in the Philippines, and Pacquiao seemed to be unfocused in the ring for the first half of the fight and before he even stepped into it.

There are fans who will want to see a rematch. There will be fans who want to see him fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. Very few will want him to retire.

In this writer's humble opinion, the choice is Pacquiao's. Even though on a personal level I hope Pacquiao doesn't retire, it his choice, which was written in a separate article today.

With that said, here are the seven reasons why his career should continue.

Money

Pacquiao seems to not be motivated by financial gain anymore, but it is certainly worth mentioning.

Even if he opts to fight Marquez a fourth time instead of taking a bout with Mayweather, he will still make over $20 million and maybe more, after how this last fight turned out.

Pacquiao doesn't seem like the type to let materialism or wealth sway him, but it couldn't hurt his decision. He will need to finance his political career after he is done in the ring and that takes some serious money.

He has worked hard in his career, and taking one or two more paydays wouldn't hurt him or his legacy.

It Will Help His Political Career

Pacquiao is loved in the Philippines. He may arguably be the best in the world, but he will always be "the people's champ" to his fellow countrymen.

But there may be some Filipino fans who thought he lost. Though the majority will most likely accept his victory, a few may disagree.

Pacquiao is now a politician in his home country, and it is definitely because of his boxing career that he got a chance to take office.

Now he might be diminished in the eyes of some of his constituents, and though that seems a little unfair considering that it has nothing to do with politics, it's also how he got the job. Many times political careers are made and ruined by the most trivial things that have nothing to do with the issues.

If Pacquiao does decide to retire, it might be one of those moves that not only ends his reign in the ring, but outside of it as well.

He Owes It to the Fans

Whenever a fighter reaches pay-per-view status they are only afforded so because the fans allow it. If fans stopped paying for a certain boxer's fights, then the boxer would be taken off PPV and in doing so would lose money.

Fans, no matter if they believe Pacquiao won or lost, still want to see him fight again. No matter what fight they crave, no boxing fan wants to see Pacman step away from the sport.

One day he will have to retire, no matter what fans want for his health and his career. This is fair, and in truth, boxing fans have a tendency to want to see fighters continue on until they lose enough times. Then they are cast aside or forgotten.

That is a bit harsh, but there is truth in it.  

But Pacquaio is still in his prime and still has opponents who are in their's. To turn away now would be to turn away too soon—and to turn his back on the fans who made him a superstar.

For the History Books

Pacquiao is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. He will always be seen as one of the the greats of recent generations.

Yet, he still hasn't made it to that mythic greatest of all-time status. He is only one or two fights from it, but he is still a hair shy.

Another battle with Marquez or a fight with Mayweather could change that. If he steps into the ring a few more times and acquits himself honorably and possibly victoriously, he will make it to a status very few ever do. He will make it into the pound-for-pound greatest ever talks.  

It is something that a single fight can change, and Pacquiao is at his peak when those fights could and should be made.

It is the difference between Pacquiao being in shows that enumerate great fighters of an era and having a special unto himself.

He Should Have One More Match with Juan Manuel Marquez

If Pacquiao fights Marquez again, it will probably end the same way all their fights seem to—with a fight of the year candidate, a bit of controversy, and lots of eyes watching good boxing.

It may just be the fact that it is fresh in fan's memories, but this match seems to have been the closest and most controversial of the three. Manny Pacquiao could do his best to prove the doubters and critics wrong by doing something that is very rare now in boxing.

Having a fourth fight with Marquez.

The irony of this is that Rafael Marquez, Juan Manuel Marquez' brother, had a four-part series with Israel Vasquez a few years ago.

The fights between those two were just as memorable as the ones between Pacquiao and Marquez, and it seems like now it is time for JMM to follow in his brother's footsteps.

The fight deserves a fourth chapter.  

For the fans and the fighters.

Hopefully it will happen.

He Should Fight Mayweather

As much as it is true that he should have another fight with Marquez, it might just need to wait until after this fight. Even with how exciting Saturday's fight was, this is the fight that the boxing public and the world wants to see.

To not have these two step in the ring against each other while they are still in their prime would be a travesty. There might be some questions about Pacquiao now and some doubts as to if he could handle Mayweather, but there is still enough steam in this fight to make it the biggest pay-per-view event in the history of boxing.

As much as boxing fans might feel like an immediate fourth fight with Marquez is deserved, most will forgive everyone involved if this fight happens first.

It's the fight that could cement his legacy.  

It's the fight that will make the sport huge again, even if it's just for a moment.

It's a fight that will help boxing fans fall in love with the sport again.

For Himself

At the end of the day, Pacquiao has made it to the top of the mountain because he loves boxing and to learn his craft. He keeps getting better and was driven to be the best.

He went from poverty to being one of the richest athletes in sports. It is the drive and determination that he has shown throughout his career that got him there, and it is what should keep him at the same point.

He got to where he has because he wasn't satisfied unless he was the best. It is an internal desire that has to be there, and after Saturday's fight, it is probably still there.

Pacquiao will have to hear from some fans and journalists about how he lost a very close fight to Marquez. He will have to hear from others how he hasn't fought Mayweather and that if he does he will lose.

For a prizefighter who has routinely proven himself to be the best in the ring, it could be frustrating.

Fortunately for us and him, there is a way to find out.

But only if he sticks around.