‘Pacmom’ tells Pacquiao to quit; son considers

Enough punishment inside the ring. So said Manny Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, who once again reiterated her wish for her son to hang up his gloves and even begged the Pacman’s promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach to help convince her son to do so. “Gusto ko magretiro na siya ngayon, huwag na siyang lumaban. Tama na yung kay [Joshua] Clottey," the “Pacmom" told Unang Hirit in a phone interview from General Santos City on Monday. The Pacquiao matriarch had actually wanted the world’ top pound-for-pound boxer to retire after his bloody showdown with Miguel Cotto last November but her plea went unfulfilled and the ring icon still fought Clottey last week. The botched megabuck duel with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is still being eyed after the Clottey fight.
To boost her request, “Mommy D" even went on record to say she would kneel before Manny if she had to just to make him listen. And apparently, this hits home for Pacquiao. “Nirerespeto ko ang mama ko. Nagmamakaawa siya, kung kinakailangang lumuhod, gagawin daw niya. Mabigat sa akin yun," the Pambansang Kamao, who’s been fighting for 15 years now, said. “Masinsinang pagmumuni-muni at pag-uusap ito." The fighter in him longs for that multi-million gig and battle for bragging rights with Mayweather but the son in him makes him seriously consider giving in to mum’s wish. “Depende sa mapag-uusapan yan. Pwede pa akong lumaban pero pwede na rin akong mag-retiro," he said. Wife Jinkee herself feels it’s now time to call it a day. “Para sa akin, anytime, pwede na siyang mag-retire. Pero syempre, siya pa rin ang magde-desisyon when it comes to boxing," she said. “Mommy D" also called on Arum and Roach to join her “retire-now" yearn. “Pwede ba, Bob Arum, tulungan mo kami. Paliwanagan mo ang anak ko na huminto na sa siya. Gusto ba ninyo na magkadispresenya ang anak ko?" she said. “Pacmom" issued the same appeal to Roach, who has forged close ties with her son. “Matagal ko nang sinabihan si Freddie Roach, noon pang nasugatan nang malaki ang anak ko sa paglaban kay Cotto. Sinabihan ko siya, pigilan mo, tulungan mo ako, kayo na malapit sa anak ko sa Amerika," she added. The Pacquiao mom now looks forward to that family deliberation when Manny flies home to GenSan by Tuesday. – GMANews.TV