Manny Pacquiao is not ready to give up his night job just yet.
Pacquiao, who said before his last fight in April that he would retire, now plans to return to the ring in November against an opponent who has yet to be selected.
Promoter Bob Arum on Tuesday said that Pacquiao received permission to take a break from his new duties as a senator in the Philippines to take another fight.
Photo: AFP
The bout is to be held on Nov. 5, likely in Las Vegas.
“He likes to fight and he likes the attention,” Arum said of Pacquiao’s return.
Pacquiao looked impressive in his last fight in April, returning from a layoff to knock down Timothy Bradley on his way to a unanimous decision.
After the fight, he wavered on his previous plans to retire.
“If you ask me to come back, I don’t know,” Pacquiao said. “I may be enjoying retired life. I’m not there yet so I just don’t know.”
Pacquiao, who was formerly a congressman, was elected to the Philippine Senate in May and there were fears that his increased duties would prevent him from ever fighting again.
However, Arum said the head of the Senate told Pacquiao that he was free to fight after the country’s budget is settled on Oct. 15.
“He would train in the Philippines and leave on the 16th to come to the US, train for two weeks and then come to Vegas,” Arum said. “The only issue is getting an arena for the fight.”
Arum said he is talking with MGM Resorts about an arena to host the fight.
He had reserved the Mandalay Bay arena for Oct. 15, but Pacquaio cannot leave his Senate duties that early.
The fight also could be at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus arena, he said, though the school would have to move a scheduled basketball exhibition from the date.
There were reports that Pacquiao might fight Adrien Broner, but Arum said he wanted the same money as Pacquiao, which was a non-starter.
Another possible opponent would be Jesse Vargas, who fights for Top Rank, and holds a piece of the welterweight title.
Pacquiao was off for nearly a year after losing in May last year to Floyd Mayweather Jr, healing from a shoulder injury, but he seemed reinvigorated after beating Bradley in April in a performance that got good reviews from most, including trainer Freddie Roach.
“When I see Manny Pacquiao like that, this is the best Manny Pacquiao,” Roach said after the fight. “He hasn’t missed a beat. I would like to see him fight again.”
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