MANNY PACQUIAO, the only eight-division world champion in boxing history and once the sport’s pound-for-pound king, announced his retirement as a boxer Tuesday. The 42-year-old made the official announcement via a lengthy video in both English and his native Tagalog. “It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over,” Pacquiao said. “Today, I am announcing my retirement. I had never thought that this day would come. As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people, for supporting Manny Pacquiao. “Goodbye, boxing. Thank you for changing my life. My family was desperate, you gave us hope. You give me the chance to fight out way out of poverty. Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world.” Pacquiao, 42, steps away from the sport as the only boxer to win championships in eight different weight divisions. He’ll retire with a record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts. Pacquiao won 12 total titles after turning professional in 1995 at 106 pounds. He secured the WBC flyweight (112 pounds) belt in 1998 for his first world championship by defeating Chatchai Sasakul. In 2010, he defeated Antonio Margarito to secure the WBC super welterweight (154 pounds) championship. Over the course of his 26-year career, he won championships at six weight classes in between. In 2019, Pacquiao defeated previously undefeated Keith Thurman via split decision to secure the welterweight (147 pounds) championship for a fourth and final time at 40 years old. Thurman was 30 years old at the time of the fight. With the victory, he became the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history. Still holding the belt in 2020, he became the oldest fighter to hold championships in four different decades. A native of the Philippines, Pacquiao was elected senator in his home country in 2016, a position he retains today. He’s running for president in 2022 and accepted his party’s (PDP-Laban) nomination for the post Sept. 19. (SD-Agencies) | 