Manny Pacquiao has been itching to get back in the ring for quite some time. After rumored opponents that spanned from Conor Benn to Conor McGregor, a recent report had PacMan lined up for a surprising world title shot against Mario Barrios.
Barrios is 29 years old and the WBC welterweight champion, so it would be a dangerous first fight back. It’s possibly for that reason that Pacquiao has gone in a different direction and decided on a lesser-known opponent for his return.
Who is Chihiro Suzuki, Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent?
It’s now confirmed that Pacquiao will face Chihiro Suzuki on July 28.
Pacquio and Suzuki will enter the ring for a three-round boxing exhibition at Saitama Super Arena in Japan. It will take place during the Super RIZIN 3 MMA event. The weight for the bout is set at 150 pounds.
If you haven’t heard of Suzuki before, it’s likely because he’s a mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He’s scheduled to make his exhibition boxing debut on June 23 against Takanori Gomi, a little over a month before the Pacquiao fight.
Suzuki is 25 years old with only one loss on his kickboxing record, which came in 2020. He hasn’t lost an MMA fight since 2021. Despite the lack of experience, this could be a scary fight for the 45-year-old Pacquiao.