Pacquiao to box on irrespective of Macau outcome

Two straight defeats, the second a sixth-round knockout by old foe Juan Manuel Marquez in December, have triggered talk of retirement which would only increase if he loses in Macau as well.

(Reuters)

The 34-year-old Filipino, however, would not even give retirement a thought.

"(I) just want to go out and win this fight," Pacquiao told reporters through advisor Michael Koncz via a teleconference.

The boxer dismissed any hangover from his last two losses and said he was feeling comfortable and confident ahead of the Macau showdown.

Pacquiao dismissed his last two defeats as part of boxing and denied being under any pressure to re-establish himself as the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.

He conceded, however, that the Rios fight would be crucial.

"This is one of the most important ones because I want to show my fans in the world that I can still compete at the high level," he said.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi, editing by Clare Fallon)