BY DENNIS PRINCIPE
WBA world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao may still see action inside the ring at least one more time before the end of the year.
A source told Tempo that an unnamed group in Macau is about to offer a deal that would see Pacquiao appear in a lucrative exhibition match.
The group apparently got wind of a previous deal signed by Pacquiao that would have pit the fighting senator against a Japanese boxer in a three-round exhibition match in Papua New Guinea.
“Manny Pacquiao already agreed and signed that contract last February. He was supposed to be paid $6 million for the exhibition match,” revealed the source.
Pacquiao and his group were already scouting a potential Japanese opponent who is willing to slug it out with the Filipino boxing icon this July but the pandemic eventually scuttled the event.
This latest group, the source said, is linked with the Macao government that is reportedly eyeing to develop sports in the region and sees a Pacquiao event as their starting point.
“The group initially wanted to stage a marquee card with Pacquiao as the main event but it’s too costly. But when they learned that Pacquiao was willing to be part of an exhibition event, that made the group talk about preparing an offer,” disclosed the source.
Pacquiao fought twice in Macau, beating Mexican-American Brandon Rios in a regional title bout in 2013 then defended his WBO world welterweight crown the following year, decisioning Chris Algieri in their 12-round clash.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, no marquee fights have been staged anywhere in the world even though Las Vegas, host to countless major boxing events, has sanctioned cards without a crowd since June.
The source said the Macau group will reach out to Pacquiao and discuss a potential exhibition match before the year ends.
