Can and will Pacquiao really retire without fighting Mayweather?

source: Dennis 'dSource' Guillermo | Examiner.com

Both Manny Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum have said multiple times in the past that 2013 may very well be the year when "Pacmania" finally turns in its badge and calls it a career.

Philippine network and news giant ABS-CBN recently quoted the 8-division World Champion stating that his showdown with undefeated jr. welterweight champion Timothy Bradley may be his last.

And as significant as his retirement from the sport of boxing is, the issue of whether he will ever fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. before he hangs up his gloves may very well be as important to a lot of boxing fans.

Can and will his fight against Bradley actually be his last?

I seriously doubt it.

But if does end up being that, then how anti-climactic would that be?

I may not be a rocket scientist, but as far as I know, there's not a lot of people that would turn their backs from $50 million dollars or more to do something that they've been doing all their lives.

I simply refuse to believe that Pacquiao will retire without fighting Mayweather, unless of course either of them loses, which renders the fight negligible.

This may very well be Pacquiao the politician speaking, in terms of when he said that he will hang it up and focus on his political duties and run for governor in Sarangani Province where he is currently the congressman.

But then again, statements like this would give Mayweather more bargaining chips and excuses if he is truly inclined in ducking Pacquiao, which will only make it more difficult for a fight between both men.

If you ask me, the writing on the wall points toward Mayweather fighting Saul Alvarez next if he beats Miguel Cotto, while Pacquiao goes on to fight his nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez a fourth time at the end of the year.

After that, if a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight still can't be agreed upon, then expect Pacquiao to call it a career.

But does that mean the fight will never happen?

Hey, if Michael Jordan came back from retirement twice after saying he is 99.9% done and a Taiwanese-American player named Jemery Lin can average more than Kobe, LeBron, MJ and Larry Bird in his first 5 NBA starts, anything can happen.

Just don't hold your breath waiting.