Sky Sports
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao has hinted he could be ready to retire from boxing.
The 31-year-old recently retained his WBO welterweight title against Ghana's Joshua Clottey with a unanimous points decision in Texas.
The Filipino took on Clottey after an eagerly-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr fell through over a dispute about drug-testing procedures.
There are still hopes the duo will meet in the future, but Pacquiao insists his plans do not hinge exclusively on Mayweather.
Indeed, he revealed that he is even contemplating quitting the sport due to the concerns for his health of his mother.
"I might retire," Pacquiao told reporters on his return to the Philippines on Monday. "My mother has been begging me to stop fighting, so we'll talk about this.
"After my fight with (Miguel) Cotto, I asked her to allow me to fight one last time and she agreed. Now, she's asking me again to retire, what will I tell her now?
"She kneels down and cries every time (she asks me to quit). That's a heavy burden when it's my mother doing that.
Retirement
"It may not reach a point where I will fight Mayweather. I may announce retirement, I will talk with my family about it.
"I came this far in my boxing career without Mayweather, so I see no need to call him out. He needs me to bolster his career. I do not need him, they are the ones who need me.
"I am open to him fighting me anytime he wants to."
Pacquiao is standing for election in his homeland when the country goes to the polls on May 10, but insists his political ambitions would not be a contributing factor in any decision he took.
"I have been in boxing for a long time and I have given so many honours to my country," he added. "Even without the elections and the politics, my retirement will largely depend on my family's decision."
Source: skysports.com
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