Macao boxing enthusiasts are in for a treat, as veteran fighters Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek gear up for a ‘Match of Legends’ showdown scheduled in January next year.
The match will be fought under international boxing rules, approved by the World Boxing Council (WBC), and the winner will be awarded a ‘WBC Legend Belt’. Filipino Pacquiao and Thai Banchamek will compete at 70 kg, the equivalent of super welterweight in boxing, and junior middleweight in Muay Thai.
The event was announced at a press conference in Bangkok, Macau Daily Times reports. It is not yet clear where in Macao it will take place. Promoter Vinij Lertratanachai, of Fresh Air Festival, said the match would be held in six rounds, each lasting three minutes, with two minute breaks in between.
Forty-four-year-old Pacquiao has 12 major boxing titles to his name, in eight different weight classes. The Filipino holds an impressive record of 62 wins, eight losses and two draws. He last fought in August 2021, losing to Yordenis Ugas in the US.
Banchamek, a Thai national, has a remarkable record of 240 wins; 73 of them knockouts. The 41-year-old last fought in May 2023, drawing with Rukita Anpo in Japan.
“We are privileged to have Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and Buakaw Banchamek for this momentous event,” Lertratanachai said at the press conference. “It is an opportunity of a lifetime that you won’t want to miss.”
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 has history in Macao, having beaten boxer Brandon Rios in the 2013 ‘Clash of Cotai’ at The Venetian Macao.
