Two boxing legends will fight in an epic showdown in Macau as Thai promoters present “The Match of Legends: Manny Pacquiao vs Buakaw Banchamek” to be held in January next year.
The announcement was made late last week in a press conference. The match between the two legends will be fought under international boxing rules, approved by the World Boxing Council (WBC), and the winner will be awarded a ‘WBC Legend Belt’.
Pacquiao is a multiple world boxing champion who retired with a 62-8-2 record after winning 12 major titles in eight weight classes.
Buakaw has a stunning record of 240 wins; 73 of them by knockouts.
Promotor Vinij Lertratanachai revealed that the match will comprise six rounds of boxing, each round lasting three minutes, with two minute breaks in-between.
The fighters will compete at 154lbs (70kg), which is the equivalent of super welterweight in boxing, and junior middleweight in Muay Thai.
“We are privileged to have Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek for this momentous event. It is an opportunity of a lifetime that you won’t want to miss,” said Vinji Lertratanachai, CEO of Fresh Air Festival, Co, who arranged this event.
Pacquiao, 44, last fought in August 2021, in a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. Buakaw, 41, last fought in May 2023, drawing with Rukita Anpo at Rizin 42 in Japan.
In an Instagram post, Pacquiao said, “Thank you with great respect to Vinij Lertratanachai, Fresh Air Festival. Thank you also to Buakaw Banchamek and his team. Special thank you to LOL International. Thank you to all the fans and all the media for coming out and showing your support. This is going to be an amazing fight.”
Pacquiao was in Macau for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Ríos match, billed as ‘The Clash in Cotai’ in November 2013, where he won in a unanimous decision, also winning the vacant WBO International Welterweight championship. LV
