Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is a man of few words -- unless he's singing.

Born in the Philippines, the 33-year-old Pacquiao was at ESPN's studios in Bristol, Conn., recently to promote his Dec. 8 welterweight fight against Juan Manuel Marquez.

The duo have fought three previous times, with Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) standing at 2-0-1 against Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) with all the fights ending in controversial decisions.

The 2004 featherweight championship fight went to a draw, while the 2008 junior-lightweight championship was won by Pacquiao in a split decision and the November 2011 fight was won by Pacquiao by majority decision.

Playbook talked with Pacquiao about the fight, his music career and politics.

Let's talk about that recent photo of you and 50 Cent, close buddy with your adversary, Floyd Mayweather. What are you and 50 Cent doing together?

"It's just business. 50 Cent likes boxing and I like music. That's why we're going to work together in a new boxing promotion company. That's it. Nothing against his relationship with Floyd Mayweather. We're talking about business."

OK, you have been doing a lot of singing throughout the past few years. Some really cringe-worthy stuff, including the song with Will Ferrell and the one with Jimmy Kimmel. Does that mean you and 50 Cent will be collaborating on music?



"No, no, no. I'm not going to be doing that again. We're together for business. That's it. I wouldn't sing again. Well, if the check clears, I'll consider it!"

Are you and Marquez friends?

"We are friendly outside the ring. I wouldn't say we're close or anything. We wouldn't go out to dinner or anything. But we're friendly."

What will happen after this fight?

"I'm a congressman in my country. So I need to get ready for the election. It's May 2013. The politics over there is so different than here. I would never run for office here. Right now, I don't have an opponent so I need to get ready."

If you weren't in boxing, what would you be doing?

"Farming. Seriously. I would be out in the fields farming. I would work the fields, rice fields."