MANNY PACQUIAO has been urged to ‘ride off into the sunset’ with a deserved farewell fight against Floyd Mayweather or Conor McGregor.
The Filipino icon is nearing the end of his illustrious career, which has seen him win titles in a historic eight divisions.
Two final fights have been touted before Pacquiao – who is yet to return since beating Keith Thurman in 2017 – makes a potential run in the 2022 Philippines election.
Mikey Garcia, 32, is in talks to welcome PacMan back, leaving room for someone else to share the ring with Pacquaio one last time.
George Kambosos, a trusted ex-sparring partner of the all-time great, called for his mentor to close out his career with a mega-money payday against Mayweather or McGregor.
Kambosos, 27, told SunSport: “I’d like to see him fight Mikey Garcia and for the last one, let him ride off into the sunset, if there’s a McGregor fight there or a massive money fight.
“Maybe even a Mayweather rematch or something like that, let him ride off into the sunset.
“He’s deserved to finish up his career, make as much money as he can because he deserves it. The guy’s been fighting the best for like three decades now.
“He’s incredible and the amount of world titles he’s won or world champions he’s ran through it’s crazy.”
Pacquiao, 42, and Mayweather, 44, spent five long years in negotiations before they finally agreed terms in 2015.
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The long wait proved a blockbuster success, with a record 4.6million pay-per-views sold
But the action in the ring was less eventful, with Mayweather expertly boxing to a 12-round decision.
Pacquiao has always maintained he fought with an injured right rotator cuff and since campaigned unsuccessfully for a rematch.
With Mayweather in retirement after beating McGregor in 2017, the former two-weight UFC champ emerged as another lucrative option for PacMan.
Both are managed by Paradigm Sports and looked on course to share the ring this year.
That was until McGregor, 32, was knocked out by Dustin Poirier, also 32, in January.
The pair are set for a summer trilogy bout, putting the Irishman’s return to the ring on hold as he fights for his career in the UFC.
But Kambosos believes such is McGregor’s popularity, a super-fight with Pacquiao will never lose demand, no matter his circumstances in the cage.
He said: “McGregor is such a big name in the world, it doesn’t matter whether he’s coming off maybe five losses, he would still generate money and people will wanna watch him.
“I love McGregor, he’s great at what he does, he’s done amazing stuff for the UFC and it would be a great fight.
“Obviously Manny is an unbelievable athlete, super fast, but we saw glimpses of what McGregor can do against Mayweather.
“So, it would be a good fight, it’s all up to them, Manny would win but how the fight would pan out? That remains to be seen.”
Kambosos, who challenges for Teofimo Lopez’s undisputed lightweight crown in May, first linked up with Pacquiao in 2017.
He provided the speed needed to prepare PacMan to face Aussie Jeff Horn, which he later lost controversially on points.
Kambosos stuck around for Pacquiao’s fights with Lucas Matthysse and Adrien Broner – which were both won – and the sessions were box office.
He said: “People would have paid a lot of money to watch myself and Manny spar.
“We’re both super fast, super explosive, we move great, and will sit there and fight, take shots, give shots.
“It was back and forth action and great for my experience and to end up doing like 250 rounds with the guy, I sit back and say, ‘Well, what’s Teofimo Lopez going to do to me?’
“It’s nothing that I haven’t seen already, or felt in the trenches with a guy like that.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
