Fully-recovered Pacquiao to fight in September

MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao will fight in September. 

This is what the billionaire boxer told Manila Standard Today in a report posted on the newspaper’s website, March 24.

“Tell them to be patient,” Pacquiao said. “What is definite is they’ll see me fight again come September. Not April nor immediately after that as speculations are going.”

The eight-division world champion has not fought since losing in a vicious knockout to archrival Juan Manuel Marquez last December, with the General Santos native knocked unconscious for quite some time.

“Tell them, too, that I appreciate very much their concern over my well-being when I lost by KO to Marquez and during the debate whether to fight in April,” Pacquiao added. “I treasure their concern and prayers that I recover quickly from my knockout loss.”

“I want everyone to know that I am well and fully recovered.”

Marquez scared?

Pacquiao also addressed reports that Marquez isn’t interested to fight him a fifth time, with the Mexican insisting that he be paid the higher purse for him to even consider returning to the ring against the Filipino boxer.

“It actually is up to him (Marquez),” Pacquiao said of a fifth fight. “Everybody knows I’ll fight anyone. I am not scared of anybody. And that is the reason why boxing fans like me so much.”

Pacquiao also reminded Marquez that even though he lost the last fight, he is still ahead in the tally of their rivalry.

“He says he doesn’t want to fight me because he won our last fight?” Pacquiao shared. “Well, I am still ahead in the tally of our last four fights. I won two, lost one and drew one.”

Pacquiao, who is currently busy campaigning for his wife, Jinkee and brother Roel in Mindanao, added: “I never avoid anyone. I will fight anybody, anytime, anywhere.” – Rappler.com