March 13, 2024
MANILA – Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing three years ago.
But throughout the years, it seemed like Pacquiao never left with speculations about his potential return sprout every now and then.
Over the weekend, Pacquiao was in Saudi Arabia as one of the guests of Saudi adviser at the Royal Court Turki Al-Sheikh for the heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou.
Somehow, Pacquiao made quite a buzz himself after he faced off with undefeated British boxer Conor Benn, 27, during Joshua and Ngannou’s official weigh-in.
MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons, who also serves as the Filipino ring icon’s right-hand man, described the scene as a “feeding frenzy like the fight was happening.”
It could be another teaser that would eventually lead nowhere but with interest in all the parties involved, who knows?
“Manny Pacquiao has had the itch to fight ever since his political campaign ended,” said Gibbons, who was with Pacquiao in Riyadh.
“So if the opportunity comes up and his excellency wants this fight on in Saudi Arabia, Manny Pacquiao is ready to go.”
As far as Al-Sheikh, who is in charge of Saudi Arabia’s sports and entertainment industry, is concerned, he is keen on staging Pacquiao’s comeback in Saudi, which has emerged as a boxing hotbed.
“Manny, I want you in the Kingdom,” Al-Sheikh said as quoted by Gibbons.