Proceeds from Manny Pacquiao exhibition match will go to war-plagued Ukraine
Manny Pacquiao has decided to donate the proceeds from his fight this weekend to the nation of Ukraine.
'PacMan' has been out of action since a loss to Yordenis Ugas last August. Following the defeat, the legendary boxer decided to hang up the gloves. The former champion announced his intentions to run for president of the Philippines.
While the 43-year-old is well-liked as a senator in his home country, his presidential run left a lot to be desired. Pacquiao wound up getting just 6.81% of the national vote, ending up in third place.
Following the end of his presidential run, Manny Pacquiao decided to return to the ring. Not for a professional boxing match, however. Instead, the former champion will face martial artist DK Yoo on Triller pay-per-view this weekend in an exhibition matchup.
In keeping with several other exhibition fights, the bout isn't expected to be much more than a hard sparring session between the two. Despite that, both men are expected to be paid well for the event.
However, Manny Pacquiao won't be receiving much in the form of a payday for the fight. According to a report from Tempo, the senator will be giving his fight purse to Ukraine, as well as providing housing in the Philippines. This is far from the first time that the former champion has donated to a good cause, and it'll likely not be the last.
Manny Pacquiao discusses ending retirement
Manny Pacquiao is willing to end his retirement to face some big names.
Since his retirement began, 'PacMan' has continuously teased that he will eventually return. Many figured that his time away from the sport would end if Pacquiao's run for the presidency didn't go well.
While the former champion is slated to return to the ring this weekend, he's been clear that he's still retired. Given Floyd Mayweather's tendency to do exhibitions, but not compete in professional fights, Pacquiao staying retired wasn't seen as odd.
However, Manny Pacquiao has now made it clear that he's willing to end his retirement. In an interview with FightHype, the former champion stated that he's interested in facing both Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. In the interview, Pacquiao stated:
“I’m eager to fight with them because, I want to test them, see if they’re really a champion. I’ve been fighting a lot of boxers at 147, 140, 135, I’ve been fighting all of the greatest boxers in the world. So, I want to test them... Yeah [I’m surprised Crawford and Spence Jr. haven’t fought yet], I don’t know the reason. But, I’m still here."
See his comments below: