Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao (right) takes on Japanese mixed martial artist Rukiya … [+]
Manny Pacquiao returned to the boxing ring in Japan early Sunday morning for an exhibition bout against kickboxer Rukiya Ambo.
Though the bout ended in a draw, Pacquiao showed his age every minute of the fight. Pacquiao displayed his warrior spirit and Anpo responded with punches in the three-round bout sponsored by RIZIN, but Anpo seemed to outdo the boxing legend in all three rounds.
Brian Tucker of MMA Fighting scored all three rounds for Ampo, while Jake Donovan of Ring Magazine questioned how much training Pacquiao had put into this exhibition fight, but judging by the performance, it seems he's not keen to see the Filipino legend return to the ring to face a skilled welterweight.
Another user stated that Pacquiao was “getting beaten by a kickboxer” and expressed displeasure that Pacquiao fought Mario Barrios at this point in his career.
In the 30-second action clip below, it's hard to see either fighter gaining an advantage at any point, but Pacquiao looks noticeably slower and less aggressive.
The bout was also an exhibition bout, and after the fight Pacquiao expressed interest in fighting a “real fight.”
“I think we'll probably see him in the ring again soon,” Pacquiao said. After the bout, he took to social media to thank Ampo, Rizin and the fans for their support.
In a bizarre but on-brand incident, Ryan Garcia showed up in a detective trench coat and awkwardly challenged Ampo and Pacquiao to what would likely be an exhibition bout.
Let's take a look:
Garcia was previously suspended for one year by the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for banned substances twice, before and after his April bout against Devin Haney.
The fight will likely take place in Japan, and it's unclear what the rules and conditions will be, but there's likely to be some interest if Garcia takes on Pacquiao.
But while this fight may attract even more criticism than the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson bout in November, we live in an age of novelty fights. Either way, it's a shame that Pacquiao will receive unnecessary punishment from a boxer nearly 20 years his junior who was banned from fighting in his home country for using performance-enhancing drugs.
Perhaps wise counsel will prevail and Pacquiao will leave the boxing world with his accomplishments and his physique intact. If you're wondering, Pacquiao's rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr., has another exhibition bout lined up against John Gotti III.
The bout will take place at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City on Saturday, August 24. Although Mayweather is 47 years old, he appears to be a bit selective about his opponents for exhibition bouts.
Pacquiao chose a live dog named Ampo, and while he wasn't knocked out, he received more backlash than Mayweather has received in any of his post-retirement exhibition fights.
There's also the possibility that we could see the two go head-to-head in a rematch that few would want but that would be watched by curious boxing fans.
stay tuned.
