Manny Pacquiao Wants Son To Stay Out Of Boxing

There are perils and risks involved in the sport of boxing, something that Manny Pacquiao knows all too well. Who could forget that knockout he suffered at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez? This was a moment that his family likely wants to forget.

Aware of the dangers any boxer takes once he steps into the ring, Pacquiao doesn't want to see his son, Emmanuel Jr., or Jimuel, in a similar scene. A video of the younger Pacquiao taking on Lucas Cason in an amateur boxing match made its round on Facebook earlier this month and his parents were not exactly too fond of it all, Manila Bulletin Sports reported.

“It pains me that he is boxing because I know how hard it is. I told him, ‘Daddy only went into boxing because of poverty… You, you don’t need to box’,” said Pacquiao in a report from AFP.

While the 18-year-old eldest son of the Filipino boxing icon showed promise as a boxer, it is a career that both Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao do not want their son to follow. This is despite Jimuel saying that it is his passion and that he wants to represent the Philippines as an athlete.

Looking ahead, it remains to be seen if Jimuel will heed the wishes of his parents. He only started to take up boxing last December and has shown flashes of brilliance of his old man. He may continue practicing and the decision on whether to take on fights is likely to be up for debate within their circle.

As for Pacquiao, he has yet to name his next opponent. Several names have cropped up like Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. Of the two, it is the IBF welterweight champion who has aired his pitch, saying that he is willing to fight the Pac-Man even if it was held in the Philippines.

Nothing is set in stone for now with Pacquiao saying that he and Al Haymon will be discussing potential opponents. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is likely off the list of candidates since he is set to take on another unnamed Japanese boxer this July, something mentioned in a previous post.

With botch Pacquiao and Mayweather likely to be fighting separate opponents by the end of the first half of 2019, expect another round of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II rumors swirling even if the chances are allegedly close to nil.