With rumours swirling of a return to the pro ranks, Manny Pacquiao has announced his first fight in the ring since 2022.
The former eight-division world champion has been eyeing one last run at world honours after hanging up his gloves in 2021. But before he considers that, he must get through an exhibition boxing bout under the RIZIN banner next month in Japan.
Pacquiao will face Chihiro Suzuki in a three-round exhibition at the Saitama Super Arena on July 28 as part of Super RIZIN 3. The pair faced off today in Tokyo at RIZIN 47, and have put pen to paper on a deal for next month’s big event.
Manny Pacquiao confirms return to the ring against Chihiro Suzuki
After losing his super-welterweight world title to Yordenis Ugas at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in 2021, Manny Pacquiao hung up his gloves and ran for president of the Philippines. He briefly returned to the ring against YouTuber DK Yoo in an exhibition, which he dominated over the distance.
And in Tokyo today, he announced his return for another exhibition against Suzuki, who is the current RIZIN champion. He has defeated the likes of Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire during his run, and is one of the best fighters outside of the UFC.
“Good evening everyone,” he told the crowd at the Yoyogi National Stadium in Shibuya. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. Finally, next month I am going to fight here in Japan and I hope that everybody will get to watch the fight.”
He then shared an intense face-off with Suzuki, who held his RIZIN featherweight and KNOCK OUT Black super-lightweight belts over his shoulder. Fans expressed their concerns about the bout online, but it is expected that Pacquiao’s boxing skill will be enough to get him through the three rounds.
Manny Pacquiao eyeing up world title fight at the end of this year against Mario Barrios
Just this week, ESPN reported that he was keen to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title towards the end of the year. He explained that after five years of taking minimal damage following his historic 2019 win over Keith Thurman, he reckons he still has a lot to give to boxing.
“I made history at 40 beating Keith Thurman,” he told ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. “And I feel at 45, I have a lot left in the game as I haven’t taken a lot of punishment over the last few years. I want to go out making history.”
Barrios 29-2 and currently holds the interim WBC welterweight world title, which he won by defeating Pacquiao’s conqueror Ugas last year. He has said that it would be a great honour to be able to box an icon like Pacquiao, with his business partner Sean Gibbons teasing an autumn Las Vegas showdown.
“I’m very excited at the possibility of this fight being made,” Barrios told ESPN. “Manny Pacquiao is a future Hall of Famer, a legend and someone I looked up to growing up. To share the ring with him would be an honor and a dream come true.”
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