IN as much as she can’t persuade her superstar son to quit boxing for good, Dionisia Pacquiao wants no other than Timothy Bradley to be Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent when he returns to the ring for the first time this year.
“Alam naman ng lahat na dinaya si Manny dun,” said Pacquiao's outspoken mother in an exclusive chat with Spin.ph. “Kaya yun ang gusto ko na next fight niya para makaganti (siya).”
Six months ago, the unbeaten American shocked the boxing world when he dealt the Filipino boxing icon his first loss in over seven years with a split decision to wrest the World Boxing Organization welterweight title in a match most people thought Pacquiao won.
While the 34-year-old eight-division world champion also lost in his next bout to Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, Mommy Dionisia doesn’t doubt his son’s capability to get even against his longtime ring nemesis.
“Si Juan Manuel Marquez,” said the elder Pacquiao in her famous Visayan accent. “Alam ko kaya ni Manny na makaganti dun.”
And once Pacquiao gets his payback against the two, Mommy Dionisia again insisted his son should retire from the brutal sport.
“Pagkatapos nung dalawa na yun, dapat tama na.”
Time and again, the celebrated mother tried to convince his son to give up boxing, most especially following his vicious sixth-round knockout against Marquez last month.
Now she said even Pacquiao’s siblings – and even wife Jinkee – are coaxing him to walk away from fighting for good.
“Sabi ng lahat ng mga kapatid niya, mag-stop na raw siya,” said Mommy Dionisia, while enumerating the names of her children Doming, Liza, and Isidra.
“Ayaw na nila siyang (Manny) mag-boksing. Pero hindi siya mapigilan.
“Gusto pa daw niya maka-fight e. Dalawa na lang daw, kaya pa daw ng katawan niya,” she said, voicing out her frustrations.
“Ilang ulit ko na siyang sinabihan na tama na, pero hindi siya natigil. Kaya siguro suporta na lang ako sa kanya sa pag-dasal.”
The elder Pacquiao also welcomed the idea of his son making his comeback fight here in Manila.
The last time the Filipino sports icon fought in front of his countrymen came in 2006 against former world champion Oscar Larios at the Araneta Coliseum.
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