Pacquiao In Talks To Star In An Action Movie
Manny Pacquiao will work with American-Korean actor Ma Dong-seok, known as Don Lee, for an action movie set in the Philippines.
According to movie producer Chavit Singson, the film will include boxing elements, as the eight-division champion could hit the big screens. It was only in April that Manny and his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, met with Lee. The actor expressed that he was a big fan, as he got Manny’s autograph. Lee is known for starring in “Train to Busan” and the Marvel film “Eternals.” Pacquiao’s last film was “Wapakman,” which aired at the Metro Manila Film Festival in 2009. He also has a documentary called “Manny,” released in 2015.
Manny’s Return
Outside of films, Manny is serious about making a return to the sport. That is according to the manager of his promotional company, Sean Gibbons. Pacman is now 45 years old and walked away from the sport when he lost to Yordenis Ugas in 2021. Pacquiao looked like a shadow of the man who is an eight-division champion. Since his retirement, he has boxed in one exhibition fight against DK Yoo. He won a unanimous decision.
He has been linked with various fights. Pacman announced a rematch with Floyd Mayweather during a RIZN 45 event. However, that fight was shut down. Talks with Conor Benn also began for a fight in Saudi Arabia. Benn is not allowed to box in the UK due to his two failed VADA tests for Clomiphene. But the demand was not here to make the fight.
Manny will now box RIZIN champ Chihiro Suzuki in a three-round exhibition on July 28. If he comes through that, he could make a professional return to face Mario Barrios. Barrios is the WBC Welterweight Champion. He was elevated from the interim position once Terence Crawford moved up to 154 and became a ‘Champion In Recess’ By coming back, Manny hopes to make history by beating his won record of being the oldest welterweight champion.
Will It Happen?
“That’s why he’s boxing’s only eight-time champion. Manny loves the competition. He loves doing things people don’t believe he can do. Can you imagine him winning another one all these years later? It’s so crazy how life goes full circle. Look, the fans want to see Manny Pacquiao one more time. What happened last time [a 2021 WBA welterweight title loss in Las Vegas to then-champion Yordenis Ugas] left so many people leaving that arena depressed.
“Manny should have won. He wants to win again. I’ve been with him in training. He’s fast, he’s quick, he’s the Manny of five to 10 years ago. Let’s be honest, 80 percent of Manny Pacquiao beats most of the guys out there today. “Unlike Floyd, Manny didn’t cherry pick his opponents. He fought [Juan Manuel] Marquez, [Erik] Morales and [Marco Antonio] Barrera all at their best weights. He took some losses, yes, but that’s why his record as a welterweight is better than Floyd, than Oscar [De La Hoya], and it will be shown when we make the Barrios fight,” Gibbons said
Barrios’ Aim
Nevertheless, Manny is not the same fighter that he used to be. Since he could not beat Ugas, it will take a tough man to beat Barrios. Barrios dismantled Ugas to win the interim belt. It is hard to see how Manny could beat Barrios when he struggled against Ugas. Barrios also has various options on the table. He will likely pursue a fight that will make him the most money. A unification bout with Jaron Ennis is also possible. Ennis recently signed a deal with Matchroom Boxing as he prepares for his homecoming fight against David Avanesyan on July 13. Eddie Hearn has spoken about his desire to make the Barrios fight, setting up a big unification.
“I’d like to make Boots against [WBA interim welterweight champion Eimantas] Stanionis. I would like to make Boots against [WBC 147-lb champion Mario] Barrios as well. I think now, there’s a big opportunity to make unification fights for Boots, whereas previously there probably wasn’t,” Hearn said
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