Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao quits boxing and goes for surprising challenge | Sport

sport">“I just heard the bell for the last time. Boxing is over,” Pacquioa reported in a 14-minute video message on his Facebook page. “I never thought that this day would ever come, because boxing has always been my passion. The sport gave me the opportunity to change my life and fight me out of poverty.”

sport">Pacquiao is one of the best and most successful boxers of all time. He is the only one to have won world titles in eight different weight classes. He boxed his last fight in August; in a fight for the world title of the WBA welterweight federation, he lost in Las Vegas to the Cuban Yordenis Ugás.

sport">Pacquiao has also been a politician since 2010. He started as a member of Congress and has been a senator since 2016. Earlier this month, he announced that he was running for president. Renowned for his footwork and hard punches to both left and right, the boxer was initially an ally of current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, but their relationship cooled when Pacquiao openly accused the Duterte government of corruption and overly friendly ties to China.

—