ARLINGTON, Tex. — The future of Manny Pacquiao — in politics, in boxing, in acting, singing or whatever whim he pursues next — remains clouded. Even his proposed megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. stands on shaky footing, far from reality despite worldwide intrigue.

After successfully defending his welterweight championship on Saturday with a unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao made clear that he would fight again. He left the when and the who unanswered, then departed the stadium to open another concert with “La Bamba.”

“After Saturday, I will focus on just politics,” Pacquiao had said earlier in the week, during a rare quiet moment alone inside the Cowboys’ sports palace. “It’s like a boxing match. You have to train hard and prepare for battle.”

Soon, Pacquiao, 31, will return to the Philippines and begin his second political campaign, this time for a congressional seat and the right to represent about 400,000 people. He insisted that surveys showed him ahead, but even members of his entourage pronounced his chances as no better than 50-50. More likely, Pacquiao will be a long shot.