Manny Pacquiao will have time on his side when the boxing legend goes up against Muay Thai and kickboxing legend Buakaw Banchamek next year.
The pair announced their exhibition fight for January 2024 at a press conference in Thailand. Pacquiao vs Buakaw is billed as a super-fight despite both men being well past their best.
Pacquiao vowed to give the fans a show as the eight-weight boxing champion confirmed the bout will have extended breaks between rounds.
Strangely, three minutes of action will be followed by two minutes of rest instead of one.
Manny Pacquiao vs Buakaw “I will do my best and give good action for fans to make them happy and enjoy the show,” Pacquiao stated.
“Thank you with great respect to Vinij Lertratanachai, Fresh Air Festival. Thank you also to Buakaw Banchamek and his team.
“Special thank you to LOL International. Thank you to all the fans and all the media for coming out and showing your support. This will be an amazing fight,” he added on social media.
Event organizers put together ‘The Match of Legends’ after Pacquiao was initially quoted as stating he wanted a full return to the sport. However, this latest confirmation and the rules mean another professional fight for Pacquiao is off the table for good.
Two-minute rule James Goyder laid out the “Pac-Man” round stipulation, the contest’s weight, and the Buakaw purse.
“Pacquiao and Buakaw will fight for six rounds of three minutes each with a two-minute break between rounds,” he said. “The weight is 70kgs [155 pounds].
“[Buakaw’s purse is] 10 million Baht. That is approx 300,000 USD. Buakaw normally gets around three million per fight [$100,000]. Pacquiao used to get a lot more.”
Goyder did not mention Pacquiao’s purse, but it will surely be in the millions of US dollars.
In addition, Vinij Lertratanachai, CEO of Fresh Air Festival Co. Ltd and one of the promoters, aired his views on the collision he managed to put together.
“The Match of Legends is a new event concept geared towards attracting combat sports icons for a match.
“We are honored to have Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek for this historic event. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won’t want to miss,” he concluded.
By the time the fight goes ahead, Manny Pacquiao will be one month into his 45th year. Thailand’s own Buakaw is four years younger than the Filipino superstar.
