Manny Pacquiao referred to a December exhibition bout against a South Korean YouTuber as his “return to the ring,” stating he wanted to prove he is “still there in boxing.”
The 43-year-old boxing legend withdrew from the sport last year to launch a fruitless bid for the presidency of his country and is now organizing an exhibition fight in the footsteps of his old foe Floyd Mayweather.
The legendary Filipino will battle DK Yoo in Seoul on December 11 (December 10 in the United States), with proceeds going to Ukraine and the destitute in his native country.
However, after appearing as a hologram to promote the exhibition in Los Angeles on Thursday, Pacquiao intimated that he may not have completely retired.
He also refused to rule out a rematch with Mayweather. “I’ll attempt to establish that Manny Pacquiao is still relevant in boxing,” he stated.
“This is my return to the ring, this is my passion, so I must work hard despite the exhibition nature of the contest.
“I’ll attempt to terminate the fight early so we can return home early,” he said, implying that he plans to knock out the South Korean.
Pacquiao, a multiple-time world champion who resigned with a record of 62-8-2, admitted: “When I quit from boxing, I felt lonely.”