By John F. McKenna (McJack): World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) who faces WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KO’s) on November 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is planning to retire in 2013.

Top Rank chairman and CEO Bob Arum confided in a STAR interview that “Pacman” who will turn 33 years old in December will retire at the end of 2013 after running for governor of Sarangani Province. Arum made the disclosure while in Manila. Gov Luis “Chavit” Singson was present during the interview.

Pacquiao, after the completion of the much ballyhooed World Pres Tour for his 3rd fight with “Dinamia” Marquez is now focused entirely on the preparation and training for the Trilogy.

The Harvard educated Top Rank CEO is the shrewdest of businessman and while Manny is undoubtedly planning to retire in the next couple of years Arum by going to the press is surely sending a message to Floyd Mayweather Jr. The message being that if you want to fight Pacquiao in what would be the biggest money fight of all time you’d better do it before it is too late.

While Manny is busy preparing for the Marquez fight, it is clear that he would like to close out his brilliant career with a victory over the undefeated self proclaimed greatest fighter of all time, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Over the past couple of weeks there has been a concerted effort by the Pacquiao camp to apply pressure on Floyd to get the long awaited fight between the two ring giants, nailed down.

Arum also disclosed in the STAR interview that he expects the Pay Per View (PPV) buys for the Pacquiao – Marquez fight to go well over the 1.5 million mark. That would make it the highest PPV event in Pacquiao’s career. Thus far Manny’s fights with De La Hoya, Cotto, Margarito and Mosley have all exceeded one million PPV buys.

Arum made it clear that Manny needs to focus on Marquez at this point before thinking about any potential future fight with Mayweather. Marquez has a style that will always give Pacquiao fits and even though Manny is bigger and stronger when he last faced “Dinamita” in 2008 Arum expects the Trilogy to be a difficult fight.

More than likely Marquez will make an attempt to adapt to the new and improved version of Manny Pacquiao. Only time will tell whether at the age of 38 he is successful.