Pacquiao Will Face Buakaw Banchamek On April 20th
Manny Pacquiao will face Muay Thai’s Buakaw Banchamek in an exhibition on April 20, 2024.
According to reports, the fight will occur in six three-minute rounds, during which there will be two-minute breaks in between rounds. Pacman’s last professional fight was in 2021, when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. After announcing his retirement, he returned to perform in an exhibition. He beat DK Yoo, an event that helped raise money for Ukraine and homeless people in the Philippines. A deal had been agreed for this fight with Banchamek in July.
Pacquiao’s Next Fight
“We are honoured 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,” Vinij Lertratanachai (Fresh Air Festival CEO)
The news is also significant in light of Pacquiao’s Olympic ambitions. The boxer indicated his desire to fight in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which begin in July. The boxer’s ambition to win a medal had been hindered by his impoverished background. This played a part in him not competing in his early years.
“My heart and desire is to claim a gold medal in the Olympic Games. I’m waiting for that and I’m excited. From the beginning, I went to Manila to be part of the Philippine team, but they didn’t pick me. They rejected me because they said I was not good enough,” Pacman stated
But now he faces another problem. Under the rules of the Philippine Olympic Committee, its President, Bambol Tolentino, confirmed that boxers must be aged between 19 and 40 if they want to compete. Pacman is 45 years old, ruling him out.
Some exemptions are in place, but the IOC must grant a ‘universality blueprint.’ Given his status as a an eight-division champion, Pacman would be in the running to get one. But the number of exemptions is limited, raising questions over whether Manny should get a place in the Olympics at the expense of another rising star.
Pacquiao And The Olympics
“But obviously, who doesn’t want Manny Pacquiao in their Olympic lineup? Obviously, he’s an absolute legend. But there are rules in place that we have to consider also. In the recent past, it has always been 19 to 40. Pacquiao is 44. So, it is a big stretch. But maybe we can challenge the age limit because we can assume that the purpose is to protect the boxers and their welfare.
“But I don’t know because if you’re IOC, if you’re going to make changes, you implement those changes in the next Olympic cycle. It’s all up in the air. But we’re hopeful about the appeal for a universality place because it would be extremely beneficial for us if it gets approved. We’re hopeful, but again, we must manage expectations,” Marcus Manalo (General Secretary of the Philippines Association of Boxing Alliances)
Pacquiao is a legend of the sport, so there will always be a demand to see him fight, but there is only so much he can do before he calls it a day. ‘Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com’
