Manny Pacquiao
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, who is running for Senator in the May 2016 national elections, speaks to supporters during the start of elections campaigning in Mandaluyong city, Metro Manila February 9, 2016. Reuters/Janis Alano

Manny Pacquiao’s last fight against Timothy Bradley could be postponed if it conflicts with the Filipino’s bid for a senatorial seat in Philippines’ upcoming national election.

Pacquiao must choose to postpone his final fight in the boxing ring against Bradley or risk losing his dream of a full-time political career in the Philippines, a compatriot, who is also running for a national seat in the country, said.

Apparently, Pacquiao’s Apr. 9 bout against Bradley would give the Filipino boxing icon a “tremendous advantage against most of the other candidates in the race for the Senate”. This is largely thanks to the expected nationwide coverage of the fight, which effectively translates to a substantial amount of political advertising for Pacquiao ahead of the country’s national elections.

“This globally and nationally televised fight a month before the elections would mean hours and hours of coverage before, during, and after the fight,” Walden Bello, a Filipino running for a senatorial seat in the country, said in a media release, reports Rappler. “This media attention, supplemented by national pay-per-view television coverage during the fight, would be massive free advertising.”

Bello suggested the fight be moved to after May 9, but this is unlikely to happen with Pacquiao and Bradley all set for a final war in Las Vegas. However, this could serve as another distraction for the 37-year-old’s preparation for his retirement fight.

While the Filipino’s political agenda is one issue that could move the Pacquiao-Bradley bout, the former eight-division titlist’s recent anti-gay remarks that caused flak around the world would not be reason enough to postpone the fight, assured Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum.

“The fight won’t be postponed [because] there is tremendous interest in the fight and many people will buy [the pay-per-view] because it’s a good fight,” Arum told ABS-CBN, as reported by Ronnie Nathanielsz of Boxing Scene.

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