Manny Pacquiao Says God Does Not Want Him to Hurt People
Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and congressman, recently told his trainer that God does not want him to hurt people.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said in an ESPN report that he was bothered by the boxer's statements.
"He says God doesn't want him to hurt people," Roach said. "That bothers me a little bit, but Manny has always been a compassionate person."
Pacquiao, nicknamed "Pacman," is a Catholic who has talked recently about ending his fighting career to focus on his religious beliefs. The boxer told ABS-CBN News that his fight against Timothy Bradley Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on June 9 might be the last of his career.
However, Pacquiao admitted that even his children would like to see the highly-anticipated bout between him and the undefeated high-profile boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"My kids request me: 'Dad, I want you to retire, but before, you have to fight Mayweather and beat him,' " Pacquiao said in the ESPN report.
However, the Filipino boxer said Mayweather may have been trying to take advantage of him.
"I was in the Philippines, and I told him, 'We need to make this fight happen.' I said I would agree to a 50-50 (split), and he said, 'Oh, I'll give you a $40 million guarantee, and no pay-per-view. I'll take all the pay-per-view,'" Pacquiao said, according to ESPN. "I don't accept that offer. It's kind of embarrassing to me. It's trying to take advantage of me."
The fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao has been in negotiations since 2009, and the two have disagreed on the terms of drug testing and financial splits since. Still, Pacquiao has been focused on promoting his fight with Bradley, and even taken time to watch basketball as a sports fan.
In particular, Pacman has been supportive of Jeremy Lin. During his promotional rounds in Las Vegas, Pacquiao told the media that he hoped to meet the Asian-American New York Knicks guard.
"Jeremy Lin, I'm proud as an Asian," Pacquiao said. "We're very proud of him. Keep up the good work."
