Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 7) – After announcing his retirement in 2021, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will don his gloves once again, in the sport that made him a household name locally and globally.
The 43-year-old Pacquiao is set to face South Korean YouTube star DK Yoo in an exhibition bout this year.
The date of the fight have yet to be revealed but the details are expected to be made public on July 20, when Pacquiao and Yoo sign the contract for their fight at the Shangri-La The Fort Hotel in Taguig City.
Yoo is a martial artist with over 654,000 subscribers in the video streaming platform and previously fought in exhibition boxing matches, notable of which was his defeat against former Ultimate Fighting Championship mainstay Bradley Scott last December.
In his video posted on June 21, Yoo first confirmed that he will fight Pacquiao in an exhibition match, with the eight-division world boxing champion making a short appearance towards the end of the 38-second clip.
Pacquiao ended his storied boxing career in August last year after his unanimous decision loss against Cuban boxer Yordenis Ugas. He bowed out with a stellar record of 62 wins, eight losses, and two draws.
The pride of Sarangani, who juggled his boxing commitments with his duties as a congressman and then senator, placed third among 10 candidates in the 2022 presidential elections in May. He was behind landslide winner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former vice president Leni Robredo in the final tally.
