Boxing: God told me to retire, says Pacquiao

MANILA: Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao claimed he had been told by God in a dream to retire soon, raising doubt over hopes of a fight with American Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao, regarded as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, said that he had decided to give up all his vices after the dream. “I will not stay long in boxing because God said: ‘You have done enough. You have made yourself famous but this is harmful’,” said Pacquiao. He has a 54-3 win-loss record with two draws and stakes his World Boxing Organisation welterweight crown against undefeated American Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas on June 9.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2012.