INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?His last two fights may have been lopsided but they exacted such a big toll on Manny Pacquiao that he?s taking a long break from boxing.

Whatever fate awaits his bid for a seat in Congress in the May elections, Pacquiao?s plan is not to train for at least four months.

At 31, he is slowly feeling the rigors of extensive training and the effects of the cumulative punches thrown by bigger opponents, especially in the welterweight division, which he now rules.

Sure, he forced Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto into reverse gear in the last five rounds before finally stopping him in the 12th on Nov. 14.

Sure, he turned Ghanaian Joshua Clottey into a punching bag on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Warriors need to rest

Still, it was no picnic throwing 1,231 punches at Clottey in 36 minutes. Even if all of those punches had missed, any mortal would have gotten fagged out.

That 246 of the punches landed on the jaw or ribs of Clottey put added strain on his fists, which have been banging mitts, heavy bags and human bodies for more than 15 years.

?I?ll let my body rest for a while,? Pacquiao told GMA Network?s Chino Trinidad on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Pacquiao earlier admitted that his last two fights were harder than expected. Even his well-chiseled body needed to recuperate.

The winner of the planned Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley showdown on May 1 is at the top of the list of Pacquiao?s next possible opponents.

Other preferred opponents, according to Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach, are Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero (27-0, all by knockout), old rival Juan Manuel Marquez, and ex-world welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, whose fight license, however, remains suspended.