HEDGING his bets, former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao will earn an extra $5 million (roughly P291.7 million) in the event he gets kicked by Japanese kickboxing artist Rukiya Anpo when they tangle in a three-round exhibition bout this Sunday in Saitama, Japan.
This condition was in the contract Pacquiao signed with RIZIN boss Noboyuki Sakakibara, who is promoting the card headlined by Pacquiao at the Saitama Super Arena, according to Phil Jay of worldboxingnews.net in a story posted on the website yesterday.
“Anpo has height, weight, and reach advantages over Pacquiao, so the last thing the boxer needs is to defend leg advances along with punches,” Jay noted.
More than just his reputation, the 45-year-old boxing legend risks a lot more should he lose against the six-foot Anpo, who is also 18 years younger at 28.
The Pinoy ring icon hopes to use the “Special Standing Rules” fight at the catchweight of 152.11 pounds as a steppingstone for his highly anticipated title crack at reigning World Boxing Council welterweight champion Mario Barros later this year.
“Sakakibara-san is a trusted person. He helps many fighters, and we should always be thankful to [him] for promoting them,” said Pacquiao, who is eyeing his ring comeback against Barros three years after his last pro fight in 2021.
The former fighting lawmaker lost his World Boxing Association super welterweight crown to crafty Cuban counterpuncher Yordenis Ugas, who won by unanimous decision on Aug. 21, 2021, in front of a disappointed predominantly Pacquiao crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Should Pacquiao win impressively this weekend, Barros isn’t the only world welterweight champ willing to stake his strap.
World Boxing Association welterweight kingpin Elmantas Stanionis of Lithuania is also a keen observer of the match.
“Facing Manny Pacquiao is a nice fantasy fight for me. The opportunity would be a dream come true. Our styles would make for a guaranteed war. It would be a great opportunity for a legend to fight for the title again,” said Stanionis, who is also eyeing a unification bout with Barros.
