SPORTS FACTS AND FIGURES 62: MANNY PACQUIAO PRACTICE VIDEO FOOTAGE HOPES FOR A FIGHT AGAINST CONOR BENN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 17 Mar 2024
A video footage showing eight division champion Manny Pacquiao shadow boxing still unleashing rapid punching speed at a park in General Santos City was released through BoxingScene by MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons.
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Here is the video footage:
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Pacquiao was once quoted by BoxingScene that he maintained his gym practices not only for a proposed exhibition fight with Buakaw Banchamek on April 20 in Thailand, but to fight with a topnotch opponent again.
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Pacquiao most probably may return to active boxing at age 45, and reportedly “in advanced talks” to fight Conor Benn in Saudi Arabia. The two were seen together at the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou weigh-in event, and posed for a face off for cameras. Mike Coppinger of ESPN.com reported that both fighters met with Saudi officials for a welterweight fight. Pacquiao said he wanted a date in May or June.
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Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) is a legendary fighter and, at his age, he is still considered a great fighter. He last fought in a sanctioned bout on August 21, 2021, losing to Yordenis Ugas, after the withdrawal of then-unbeaten three-belt welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., and so far that’s his only fight since 2019, in a span of five years.
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The 27-year-old Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) has been inactive for nearly two years after a great drug test controversy in late 2022 that cancelled a scheduled fight with Chris Eubank Jr which was suppose to happen at London’s O2 Arena October 5, 2022. This has caused major problems for Benn in renewing his boxing license in his native country the United Kingdom.
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Benn has fought a pair of lower-level fights in the United States winning over Rodolfo Orozco last September by unanimous decision and against Peter Dobson by unanimous decision last February.
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His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has two important big time bouts in Saudi as scheduled. These are the undisputed heavyweight title bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on May 18, and the undisputed light-heavyweight bout featuring three-belt champion Artur Beterbiev versus his unbeaten Russian countryman, Dmitry Bivol, on June 1.
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Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport told IFLTV: “Listen, we all want that fight, and obviously Manny flew in for talks and to watch the show in Saudi Arabia, so that’s what we’d like to do,” Hearn said. “We’re waiting for the … announcement from the appeal. We were told it was going to be in two weeks, and it’s now nearly four weeks, so we’ll be hearing about that appeal any day.
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“It’s not in our hands, it’s in the hands of the Board and their decision will determine where Conor Benn’s next fight will be because, quite frankly, we could do Conor Benn versus Pacquiao in a stadium in London.” Hearn was quoted by BoxingScene.
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The 2023-24 regular season is about to conclude with several teams having about 15 games left in their schedule. In the MVP race, two-time regular MVP Nikola Jokic remains as the top candidate with his averages of 26.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, leading the Denver Nuggets to a top-seeded 47-20 record.
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The weekly MVP ladder on NBA.com moved Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic ahead of Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics for fourth place. Doncic, averaged 34.3 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.0 rebounds. Doncic trails Jokic, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, the Mavericks are ranked eighth in the Western Conference standings.
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Sports History: March 17, 1876. British high jump champion Marshall Jones Brooks cleared 1.83m at Oxford, England for the unofficial world record. It was thought to be the first jump over 6 feet.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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