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MANILA, Philippines – First love never dies, as they say, and Manny Pacquiao‘s love for boxing may just be an eternal affair at this point.
More than a year after his official retirement from in-ring competition, the living legend still has his name swirling in boxing’s rumor mill for potential mega-fights, including a tag team exhibition against old foe Floyd Mayweather and a properly sanctioned bout in Abu Dhabi.
On Tuesday, March 14, MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons reposted an image of Pacquiao teaming up with Filipino-British influencer Salt Papi battling the team of Mayweather and American rapper KSI.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are no strangers to exhibition bouts in a sport now peppered – or some would say plagued – with all kinds of big money-drawing gimmicks. Pacquiao already had three such matches in 2022 alone, the biggest of which was a unanimous decision win over YouTuber DK Yoo.
As the boxing world buzzes over that intriguing clash of personalities, another match is also reportedly in the works for Pacquiao to face the undefeated Conor Benn, a 26-year-old British fighter banned from fighting in his home country after using performance-enhancing drugs.
“Manny is an all-time great and he feels like he still has a lot of fight left in him and he still wants to compete at the highest level. This fight was presented to him by [promoter] Eddie Hearn and he agreed. Ball is in Eddie Hearn’s court. Pacquiao ready to go,” Gibbons told ESPN on Wednesday, March 15.
“He retired for a minute to run for president of the Philippines, where he took a respectful third place. After that he felt that his retirement was due to running for president, and now that [he wasn’t elected], he wants to fight again and feels like he can do it at the highest level.”
Per Gibbons in the ESPN report, a proper fight is being eyed for June 3 later this year, but Benn and his camp are still looking at two other potential opponents, namely Kell Brook and Chris Eubank Jr.
If there’s one thing Pacquiao fans have learned over the course of his time in the limelight, whether in sports, politics, or elsewhere, it’s that the now 44-year-old icon will never sit idly by and is constantly restless to try something new.
Safe to say, at least one of these new rumors will eventually happen once talks are further ironed out. – Rappler.com
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