BOXING icon Manny Pacquiao confirmed on Tuesday that he already established his training camp for his upcoming fight under Paradigm Sports Management of President Audie Attar in Dubai most probably in May.
“Training camp has begun. I am ready to get back in the ring and to further add to my legacy in the sport of boxing,” Pacquiao said to BusinessMirror on Wednesday. “Big news coming soon.” But Pacquiao, now managed by Paradigm Sports, didn’t say who his opponent would be.
Pacquiao started his usual light training and jogging inside Dasmariñas Village in Makati City last week. But his chief trainer, Buboy Fernandez, has yet to join the fighting senator in his training.
Pacquiao’s business manager Arnold Vegafria said in a separate interview that Paradigm Sports would officially announce Pacquiao’s opponent later this week.
“He will be fighting most likely in Dubai because of the low Covid-19 cases there,” Vegafria said.
BusinessMirror learned that Mikey Garcia could be Pacquiao’s potential opponent, while there are several reports that the young hard-puncher Ryan Garcia is also on the list.
The 42-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts) last fought in July 20, 2019, in Las Vegas, winning via split decision over erstwhile unbeaten Keith Thurman.
The Games and Amusements Board (GAB), meanwhile, appealed to the World Boxing Association (WBA) to restore Pacquiao’s world welterweight title which he lost for failing to defend the belt.
GAB chairman Abraham Khalil Mitra sent a letter of appeal to Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, president of the WBA which declared Pacquiao as the division’s “champion in recess” while handing the belt to Cuban Yordenus Ugas.
Pacquiao won the title after beating Keith Thurman in July 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Filipino boxing icon didn’t fight in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mitra said that GAB will do its best to convince the WBA to have the eight-Division world champion keep the crown.
“The GAB is mandated by law to champion the rights of every Filipino professional boxer at all times,” Mitra said in a statement. “That is why we are appealing to the WBA to reconsider its decision.”
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