MANILA (AFP) - Manny Pacquiao called an exhibition fight in December against a South Korean YouTuber “my comeback to the ring,” saying he wants to show he “is still there in boxing.”
The 43-year-old boxing legend retired last year from the sport to make a failed crack at the presidency of his country and is now following in the footsteps of his old rival, Floyd Mayweather, in staging an exhibition bout.
The Philippine great will fight DK Yoo in Seoul on December 11 (December 10 in the United States) with money raised going to Ukraine and the homeless in his homeland.
But, after appearing in the form of a hologram in Los Angeles on Thursday to promote the exhibition, Pacquiao hinted that he may not have totally retired just yet.
“I’ll try to prove that Manny Pacquiao is still there in boxing,” he said, also refusing to rule out a rematch with Mayweather.
“This is my comeback to the ring, this is my passion, so I have to work hard even though it’s an exhibition match.
“I’ll try to finish the fight early so we can go home early,” he added, hinting that he intends to knock out the South Korean.
Pacquiao, a multiple world champion who retired with a 62-8-2 record, admitted: “I felt lonely when I retired from boxing.”