The man who sent Manny Pacquiao into his initial retirement has revealed that he is now making a return to the sport.
Pacquiao knocked out Lucas Martin Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur to regain welterweight honours and claim the WBA (Regular) crown back in 2018, after losing his WBO strap to Jeff Horn in the fight prior.
The Filipino legend then defended that trinket against Adrian Broner, before a legendary win over full WBA (Super) champion Keith Thurman in 2019 which saw him become the oldest welterweight ruler in boxing history.
Two years after that triumph, the veteran had still not defended his world title, but his inactivity was set to end with a difficult three-belt unification against undefeated WBC and IBF world champion, Errol Spence Jnr.
However, just 10 days before the fight, Spence withdrew from the contest after a torn retina was discovered during a pre-fight medical exam, replaced by Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas, who held Pacquiao’s old WBA (Regular) belt.
Ugas went on to pull off the upset against a faded Pacquiao, with the Filipino then retiring from the sport until his comeback last July. Meanwhile, Ugas lost in the two fights that followed, halted by Spence and outpointed by Mario Barrios, before retiring in September 2023.
Yet, Boxing Scene report that Ugas will return to the ring later this year, under the Premier Boxing Champions promotional banner. Ugas will be 40 in July, but the Cuban appears to believe he still has plenty to offer.
As a result, Pacquiao may attempt to avenge his defeat to ’54 Milagros’ down the line, should the 47-year-old opt to continue boxing after his rematch with former foe Floyd Mayweather, which is set to take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas in September.
