“After the first couple of days of training Manny came up to me and said 'I miss my job', and I said 'you're at your job', and he said 'no, I miss Congress'.”

Pacquiao fights Antonio Margarito on November 13 though nothing is pencilled in after that.

Talk of his retirement will increase the pressure on rival Floyd Mayweather to agree what many believe would be the fight of the century between him and Pacquiao or risk having his legacy tainted by refusing to fight his biggest rival.