LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao wants his farewell fight to be a memorable one and free to the public.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum bared how the greatest Filipino boxer of all-time has already instructed him to start laying the groundworks for the final match of his illustrious career to be held in Manila.
To top it all, Arum said Pacquiao wants to stage it for free around the world.
“He instructed me about doing his massive fight in Manila as his farewell bout where we’ll let people watch live for nothing,” said the 83-year-old boxing promoter.
Arum said as per the instruction of the Filipibo boxing great, Top Rank will have the fight shown on free television in the United States, “where you don’t have to pay for pay-per-view.”
“We will make it to a great festive event,” said the 83-year-old Arum about what he plans when Pacquiao fights for last time before calling it quits.
Pacquiao last fought in the Philippines in 2006 when he dominated Mexican Oscar Larios for 12 rounds on the way to scoring a unanimous decision.
Since then, Pacquiao’s star has skyrocketed and hit new heights with Sunday’s ultra-rich welterweight title showdown against unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Arum’s claim about a Pacquiao farewell bout in Manila further lends credence to a recent talk between the boxing icon and sportsman-businessman Manny V. Pangilinan about putting together a boxing card in Manila.
But Arum stressed those plans are further down the road.
The Top Rank official said the 36-year-old Pacquiao may fight one more time this year after the Mayweather showdown, and again in either April or May of next year, with Macau again looming as a site option other than the US.
As to when Pacquiao is planning to finally hang up his gloves, Arum is left pondering on when it really will be although his contract with Top Rank won’t expire until 2016.
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