Manny Pacquiao, who has stated that he is done with professional boxing, has stated that his forthcoming exhibition match with a Korean martial artist will be only for charitable purposes.
“I am more excited in finding out how many homeless people and families I can help than in actually returning to the boxing ring,” Pacquiao said to reporters on Wednesday at the Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig, where he announced his exhibition bout with YouTuber DK Yoo.
In the main event, Pacquiao and Yoo will fight for six two-minute rounds in the showpiece match, which will take place on December 11 in Seoul. There’s no word on what size gloves they’ll be sporting, but neither boxer will be wearing headgear, and there will be no weight limit.
According to the press kit, the Pacquiao-Yoo bout would be a “fund-raising event,” with the earnings going to “help repair houses in the areas impacted by the turmoil in Ukraine.”
Pacquiao also stated that he will utilize the event to raise cash to build his “Pacman Village” in his birthplace of General Santos City, which is the boxing legend’s latest homeless housing scheme.
“Ang importante ay ma-entertain din ang mga tao (What is important is that people will also be entertained),” Yoo, the founder of Warfare Combat System and a self-described “movement, meditation, and fighting instructor,” said of his bout with the former eight-division world champion.
Pacquiao claimed he had never heard of Yoo, who has over 600,000 YouTube subscribers, until their paths met a few months ago in General Santos City, where the proposal for a charity boxing battle was finally born.
“I know Manny is very fast and he will beat me, but I will still try to surprise him when we fight,” Yoo said.
Pacquiao, 43, announced his retirement from boxing after losing to Yordenis Ugas in August of last year. He quickly launched an unsuccessful presidential campaign before announcing that he would appear in his first exhibition fight.
Could this mean that the boxing legend will have another regular pro fight?
“Wala, ang alam ko nag-announce na ako ng retirement (No. Last time I heard, I already announced my retirement),” Manny said.