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Pacquiao not swayed from retirement after latest win

Freddie Roach enthused by Pacquiao’s performance in final fight

Pacquiao Bradley III

Steve Marcus

Manny Pacquiao walks to a neutral corner after knocking down Timothy Bradley Jr. in the ninth round of their welterweight fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, April 9, 2016. STEVE MARCUS

Pacquiao vs. Bradley III: Fight Night

Manny Pacquiao, right, connects on Timothy Bradley Jr. during their welterweight fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, April 9, 2016. STEVE MARCUS Launch slideshow »

Timothy Bradley went from ghostly elusive early to scarecrow dormant late fighting Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night, and that wasn’t even his biggest transformation at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

After a unanimous-decision loss to Pacquiao — all three judges scored it 116-112 — Bradley became the voice of those who spent the night booing him. Asked if Pacquiao should retire at the post-fight news conference, Bradley reacted with a supernaturally quick “no.”

“He’s the best fighter I’ve ever faced, honestly,” Bradley said. “He’s explosive; he has a lot of experience. He has a lot of power, has a lot of speed.”

No one seems to want Pacquiao to retire, but that’s exactly what the 37-year-old Filipino says he is doing after defeating Bradley for the second time. Pacquiao settled his only remaining score, edging Bradley 2-1 in their trilogy of bouts over the past four years, and in the process he won back the belt in one of the eight weight classes in which he has reigned.

He improved his record to 58-6-2, which is where he says it will stay. Pacquiao is out.

“My heart is 50/50,” Pacquiao confessed after repeated questions on his commitment to leaving the sport. “But I love my family, I honor my family, my kids. I promised not to be a boxer one day because boxing is a really hard sport and very difficult. I’m going to enjoy the retired life, and am I going to come back? It’s hard to say because I’m not there yet.”

Pacquiao brings up legitimate reasons for his decision — a desire to serve his country as a senator joins his family's wishes as the main ones — but that sounds like a soft retirement if there ever was one. He’ll also have to deal with circumstances few in his position encounter.

Many fighters talk themselves out of retirement, even with voices around them suggesting that returning is a bad idea. No dissenters are going to emerge in Pacquiao’s circle, not from the boxing world at least.

His most trusted adviser, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, is already talking potential next opponents — lobbying for junior welterweight champion Terrence “Bud” Crawford but also saying middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is a possibility. Roach described himself as “100 percent behind” whatever decision Pacquiao makes but admitted he’d like to keep going.

“I told him already, I said, ‘You still have a whole lot of fighting left in you; you haven’t slowed down a bit,’” Roach said. “He hasn’t really shown signs of wear and tear. At moments tonight he looked better than he has in a long time.”

Just not at first. Bradley leapt out to a lead in the first three rounds, outlanding Pacquiao with a more efficient punching percentage.

But Pacquiao came alive in the fourth, pushing forward with speed and power reminiscent of his prime to break the invisible shield Bradley seemed hidden behind. Pacquiao also showcased a new commitment to defense, letting Bradley overextend himself before he would pounce on counters.

“He was very patient,” Bradley said. “He was just waiting on me to make mistakes.”

Those mistakes came eventually. Pacquiao unleashed heavy shots on Bradley in the seventh and ninth rounds to score knockdowns.

Because Pacquiao hadn't recorded a knockout in seven years, questions about his power had swirled coming into the fight. He felt like he answered some of them.

“I’m happy with the result of the fight tonight, although every round I was looking for a knockout to finish the fight,” Pacquiao said. “But we know Bradley is a top boxer. I did my best. I’m so happy I almost did what I wanted.”

Pacquiao leaves out the “almost” when it comes to his career. He feels there’s nothing left for him to achieve.

Now he’s on to something else.

“I’m so satisfied and more than happy, because when I started boxing, I never thought I could accomplish all that I have done right now,” Pacquiao said.

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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