What does Pacquiao want to be when he grows up?

The world-famous Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao pitched a shutout in his last fight Nov. 24 (evening of Nov. 23 in the US). Under the circumstances, he had to.
Many fans for sure wished the Philippines’ greatest boxer had knocked out his foe, the American Brandon Rios, but the unanimous decision will do. The Filipinos will be more than happy to settle for the decision win and to know that their idol is back.
Pacquiao’s aura is back, not quite that of invincibility but certainly as ring campaigner of the best quality. He needed the win.
No doubt all Filipinos were tense not only at the start of the fight in Macau, China, but all throughout the 12 rounds of it. Anything could happen in the ring.
Oh, how we all knew that. The shocking knockout at the hands of Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez last year and the bizarre loss to American Timothy Bradley were heavy on people’s minds. The thought never left our minds the whole length of the Rios match.
But, as it turned out, our pugilistic angst was not necessary at all. Pacquiao still has it.
Indeed he was masterful again. He dominated Rios all throughout. And that is a big deal because Rios is a former champion and thus not a pushover as some observers might have believed.
But Rios was too slow. And, literally, Pacquiao ran circles around him. It was really a no-contest.
Manny was back, but Observer’s untrained eye could detect a certain tentativeness and the old power seemed more temperate this time. The experts might say the first was a sign of intelligence rather than uncertainty and the second of maturity.
If the Filipino nation needed the Pacquiao victory, the more that the boxer himself needed it. Not only to console himself after his two previous unexpected losses, but also for his own ego. As well as his standing as an icon among the Filipinos.
Pacquiao’s charisma and public esteem had been wearing off, especially with the advent of the other outstanding Filipino boxer Nonito Donaire and the succession of Filipina beauties that have met with success in international pageantries.
The timing of the win, of course, is a big boost for a people and nation that have been extremely low in spirits in the aftermath of the devastating super typhoon Yolanda and all the political controversies the country has been reeling from recently. As least we now have something positive to cheer ourselves with and to lift everyone’s mood.
Now the experts are divining Pacquiao’s future in the wake of the Macau triumph, some saying he should continue campaigning in the ring, others advising him to hang up his gloves and do something else. Still others are wishing that Pacquiao should leave politics before he gets corrupted by it too deeply. (He’s currently a congressman and is said to harbor higher political ambitions.)
Indeed Pacquiao should be thinking about the future. Pretty soon he will have to decide when to retire the mitts. Perhaps after one or two more fights, especially if the match-up with American Floyd Mayweather doesn’t materialize.
But for now, Pacquiao should savor his latest victory. And take time to ponder the horizon. What is there for him to do in life still? Should he stay in politics even though that is a dirty profession? Many Filipinos were chagrined over Manny’s foray into politics and were turned off by it. He should keep that in mind.
And now he has to contend with a dispute with the Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) over allegedly unpaid taxes.
The BIR is running after Pacquiao for allegedly under declaring his income for certain years. The boxer counterclaims that he had paid the disputed taxes in the United States and therefore doesn’t have to pay in the Philippines.
The issue is not complicated. If indeed Pacquiao owes back taxes, then he has to pay. If, on the other hand, he can prove he has already paid in the United States, then the BIR must desist from hounding him.
Pacquiao and the BIR have been engaging in a word war over the tax issue, but now the tax court here has gagged the two camps, forbidding both from discussing the issue in the media.
In any case, the Pacman has redeemed himself in the ring. Whatever the experts are saying in review of Pacquiao’s latest outing, there’s no doubt that he must take stock of his career up to this point as well as where and what he wants to be when he finally decides on retirement.
He’s done a great service to the Filipino nation by his feats, giving his countrymen much joy and pride. Many will be hoping he will not sully his heretofore outstanding reputation (albeit with a few bumps here and there) by choosing badly about what to do next.
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