Manny Pacquiao now regrets facing a world champion when he did: ‘I wish I could have changed him’
When considering his illustrious career, it’s hard to imagine that eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao harbors any regrets about how it all played out.
Not only did he make an obscene amount of money from the sport – and deservedly so – but Pacquiao’s legacy is perhaps primarily defined by the fights he won and lost.
His compelling rivalries with Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, for example, were, whatever the outcome, crucial to establishing his reputation as a warrior.
Especially in the lower divisions, “Pac Man” captivated fans with his dynamic and fierce style, quickly establishing himself as one of the sport’s most formidable offensive fighters.
Then, moving up to 147 pounds, where many considered him to be significantly undersized, the Filipino only extended his merciless push and scored notable victories over Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley.
At this point, it remains virtually impossible to see where regrets may have entered the equation, although it was not until his financial showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr that Pacquiao began to doubt his own judgment.
When the two faced off in 2015, many suspected that the Filipino legend, who is still competing at age 46, was well past his prime.
But while that seemed to be the case for both fighters, the main concern for Pacquiao was that he was injured before their welterweight clash.
Reflecting on the situation, Pacquiao, who lost a clear decision to Mayweather, told Business Insider that things might have gone differently if their fight had been postponed.
“If I could change one thing about my career, I would have asked to postpone my 2015 fight against Floyd Mayweather after injuring my shoulder in training.
I thought everything would be fine and I would feel better without surgery after suffering this injury two weeks before the fight.
But my injury got worse after the third round. Pushing for this important fight to go as planned is my biggest regret.
As for Pacquiao’s future, he appears set to challenge Rolly Romero for his WBA welterweight title in 2026.
