Welcome to Midnight Mania!
It’s been 2.5 years since Manny Pacquiao last stepped into the ring as a professional boxer. He was competitive with Yordenis Ugas in his final bout before retirement, but it was clear the then-42 year old was another step slower and significantly less accurate. As with many retirements in combat sports, however, it doesn’t seem to have fully taken.
In December 2022, Pacquiao returned to action, winning an exhibition match in South Korea (watch highlights). He’s talked about returning to the ring numerous times since, and he recently booked another exhibition bout versus Muay Thai legend Buakaw.
Apparently, exhibition matches alone aren’t enough to satisfy Pacquiao’s itch for action. According to a report from Michael Benson, Pacquiao is returning to professional competition and should be considered “out of retirement.” He also has some high-profile opponents in mind: Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, and Conor McGregor.
How feasible are those fights for the boxing legend? Davis is atop the boxing world right now, a pound-for-pound talent and champion who fights a handful of weight classes below “Pacman.” That could be an issue, but of course, money talks! Garcia is a bit bigger than “Tank” and has similar star power, so that could be a viable option if his struggles with Golden Boy Promotions don’t come into play.
As for McGregor, the situation grows complicated for a handful of reasons. For one, UFC would have to allow McGregor to box since he’s under contract. In addition, Pacquiao is currently embroiled in a legal battle with McGregor’s management group, Paradigm Sports. That multi-million dollar feud could bring about a halt in negotiations, but then, McGregor was calling for the match himself back in December.
Stay tuned.
