Manny Pacquiao is set to return to the boxing ring in April.
It was agreed that Pacquiao and Thai kickboxer Buakaw Banchamek have agreed to a six-round boxing bout on April 20. The exhibition boxing match will be six three-minute rounds with two-minute breaks in between.
Buakaw Banchamek vs Manny Pacquiao fight confirmed for April 20 at IMPACT Arena in Bangkok.
The fight will consist of six rounds of boxing, with each round lasting 3 minutes and a 2-minute rest before each round.
The pay-per-view match is estimated to cost $25 million to set… pic.twitter.com/2XQqOBb87i
— Thai Enquirer (@ThaiEnquirer) December 26, 2023
The event is being organized by Thailand’s Fresh Air Festival Co Ltd and cinema operator SF Corporation, and comes after Fresh Air Festival CEO Vinij Lertratanachai revealed in July a deal was reached between the two.
“We are honored to have Manny ‘PacMan’ Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek for this historic event,” he said. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won’t want to miss.”
The bout will take place at 154lbs while the winner will walk away with a cash prize of 10 million baht which translates to $289,000 and a WBC Legends Belt.
Manny Pacquiao & Buakaw Banchamek’s careers
Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2) last fought professionally back in August of 2021 when he dropped a decision to Yordenis Ugas which had snapped his three-fight winning streak. On the win streak, he had wins over Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman to win the WBA super welterweight title.
Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win twelve major world titles in eight different weight divisions while also being the first boxer in history to win the lineal championship in five different weight divisions.
Since his last pro fight, Pacquiao had an exhibition match against DK Yoo in December of 2022, in a bout he won by decision.
Buakaw Banchamek is a legend in Muay Thai. In kickboxing, he has 241 wins (73 by knockout), 24 losses, 14 draws, and one No Contest. He’s a two-time K-1 World Max Champion and has captured titles under the WMC and WBC banner.
Banchamek is coming off a decision win over Nayanesh Ayman on Dec. 2 which happened a month after he beat Saenchai at BKFC Thailand.
