Can the Pac-man make a comeback?! We already heard that Manny Pacquiao was fighting in November in China, but now we know his opponent.
What do you think of this fight boxing fans?! Details after the jump…
Via ESPN:
Former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, seeking to get his mojo back after being knocked out cold by rival Juan Manuel Marquez in December, will return to action to face brawler Brandon Rios this fall, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz told ESPN.com on Monday.
The fight, the first for Filipino icon Pacquiao outside the United States since 2006, will take place at the CotaiArena at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macau, China, on Nov. 24, which is Nov. 23 in the United States.
The fighters have both agreed to terms and the contracts are being finalized, according to Koncz and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. Pacquiao agreed to terms last week and Koncz, who is traveling to the Philippines to see him, said he is bringing him the paperwork. Arum said Rios agreed to terms on Monday morning.
Koncz said that Pacquiao will face Rios at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds in a scheduled 12-round fight that will be televised on HBO PPV in the United States.
Because of the 12-hour time difference between Macau and the United States, the pay-per-view will take place in the morning in Macau for a normal prime-time telecast in the U.S.
“People know what Rios brings to the table,” Arum said. “People want to see a real fight, and that is what you get with Rios. We’re building a business in Macau and China and these are the kinds of fights — real action fights — that they want to see.”
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