Manny Pacquiao returned to the boxing ring early Sunday morning in Japan to fight a kickboxer named Rukiya Anpo in an exhibition bout.
The bout was scored a draw, but Pacquiao looked every second of his 45-year-old age in it. Pacquiao displayed his signature warrior spirit, and Anpo obliged by firing back his share of shots over the three-round fight promoted by RIZIN, but the latter seemed to get the better of the boxing legend in all three rounds.
Bryan Tucker of MMA Fighting scored all three rounds for Anpo. The Ring Magazine’s Jake Donovan questioned how much Pacquiao trained for the exhibition. Still, based on the performance, he isn’t eager to see the Filipino legend back in the ring against a solid welterweight.
Another user said Pacquaio was “getting pieced up by a kickboxer,” he also frowned upon Pacquiao for fighting Mario Barrios at this point in his career.
Here is a 30-second clip of the action, and it is tough to see either man getting a significant edge at any point. However, Pacquiao does look noticeably slower and much less chiseled.
Again, the fight was an exhibition, and after the bout, Pacquiao expressed an interest in having “a real fight.”
So, chances are, we will see him in the ring again. After the fight, Pacquiao also took to social media to thank Anpo, Rizin, and his fans for their support.
In a bizarre but on-brand occurrence, Ryan Garcia showed up wearing a detective trench coat and awkwardly challenged Anpo and Pacquiao to what would likely be an exhibition match.
Take a look:
Garcia has been suspended a year by the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive twice for a banned substance, before and after his April fight with Devin Haney.
The fight would presumably take place in Japan, and it is unclear what the rules or stipulations would be. However, there would be some interest if Garcia fought, especially against Pacquiao.
However, that fight might draw even more criticism than the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson clash in November, but we’re in an era of novelty scraps. In any case, it would be a shame to see Pacquiao take unnecessary punishment from a fighter nearly 20 years his junior who has been banished from fighting in his home country because of performance-enhancing drugs.
Perhaps wise counsel will prevail, and Pacquiao will leave the sport with his legacy and body intact. In case you’re wondering, Pacquiao’s rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has another exhibition fight lined up with John Gotti III.
That fight will take place on Saturday, August 24 at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City. Mayweather is 47 years old, but it appears he has been a bit more selective with his opposition for exhibitions.
Pacquiao picked a live dog in Anpo and while he wasn’t knocked out, he found more heat coming back him than Mayweather has in any of his post-career exhibition fights.
There could even be a possibility we see those two clash in a rematch that almost no one will ask for, but a good amount of curious boxing fans would watch.
Stay tuned.
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