Manny Pacquiao has long since teased a professional ring return and this year has been no different.

The sport’s only eight-division world champion has been in talks with new WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios to challenge for the title and word from both is progressing well

The hype surrounding such a return was dampened this past weekend in Japan though when Pacquiao returned for an exhibition fight against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo – a three round spectacle at the Saitama Super Arena in which fans and analysts felt he looked every bit his 45 years.

Post-fight, Ryan Garcia entered the ring and praised both men before offering to fight them. It now seems his appearance in Saitama was no coincidence and the Pacquiao callout has been in the works behind the scenes.

In a clip shared on social media platform X, the 25-year-old revealed the plans.

“I was [in Japan] doing a fight deal with Manny Pacquiao. I’m gonna fight him, yeah, an exhibition … I’m fighting Manny Pacquiao, guys, let’s get it. It’s coming soon. We’re trying to work on [a date], end of the year for sure. I’m trying to get more focused, stop drinking, stop doing a lot of the s**t I was doing.”

 

 

The news goes against Team Pacquiao’s well-documented talks with Barrios for a fight they say has to happen in December or before due to political commitments in the new year.

Garcia is currently banned from the sport after testing positive for a banned substance when facing WBC Super-Lightweight Champion Devin Haney. The news came within an extremely controversial period for the young fighter for which he has said he will seek help.

Manny Pacquiao has been urged to retire after his difficult exhibition in Japan.

The only eight-weight world champion returned in an exhibition clash against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo. Still, it was ‘beaten up’ in a difficult fight, which luckily was declared as a draw by default.

Pacquiao is in talks to make a full professional comeback in a WBC world title shot against Mario Barrios, which has been pencilled in for later in 2024.

But BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom believes it simply shouldn’t be happening, but is understanding of his motivations for returning.

He told  “I think it’s so hard for fighters, you have seen it in the Olympics with athletes coming back.

“We’ve seen so many fighters come back, you always think back to Muhammad Ali and the damage that those last fights had on his life.

“It is very hard as a promoter to say it, but equally if you have enough money in the bank you have to protect your health.

“I think it showed in that exhibition that it really should be the end, but ultimately stranger things have happened.

“As I say fighters are addicted to that buzz and it is very hard to replace it in those final years.”

Pacquiao looked a shadow of himself as his tallest-ever opponent landed almost two shots per every one he hit back.

Although he ended stronger, it was a worrying sign for the veteran who could have quite easily been defeated if the fight was scored.

‘Pac Man’ hasn’t fought competitively since losing to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021, after which he hung up his gloves as a professional.