Manny Pacquiao is making a comeback in the ring. The renowned boxer made an announcement about a contract he signed with the company to participate in 2023 during the Rizin 40 event on Saturday. Rizin collaborated with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2018 and once more in September of this year. Since both of those fights were exhibitions, Pacquiao’s strategy is likely to be the same.
Coming Back
Since losing to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision in August 2021, the 44-year-old hasn’t engaged in any professional combat. Prior to that, he took a two-year break from boxing to concentrate on his political career in his native Phillipines. Like Mayweather, Pacquiao has started shifting his focus away from improving his 62-8-2 professional record and toward lucrative performances. Most recently, on December 11, he defeated DK Yoo in a unanimous decision.
Making a Statement
The former eight-division world champion voiced the desire to face Mayweather once more in an effort to exact revenge for his loss in 2015, but he questioned whether the two men truly felt the same way. Since Pacquiao declared he’ll face a Japanese boxer of Rizin’s choosing, his focus will be diverted for the time being. If the occasion turns out to be a sufficiently large spectacle, Mayweather might become interested.
Before the national elections in May 2022, where he made a disastrous presidential run, the 44-year-old Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing. When asked about the nature of his impending fight, Pacquiao did not say whether it would be a legitimate battle or an exhibition, only saying that he was “open and thrilled to fight a Japanese fighter.” However, Rizin primarily concentrates on MMA fights as well as kickboxing and boxing matches.
