MANNY PACQUIAO is back in the gym ahead of his long-awaited return to the ring – which will be announced imminently.
The eight-world champion hasn’t fought since ending Keith Thurman’s reign as WBA welterweight king in July 2019.
But after nearly two years on the sidelines, the Filipino has begun training for his 72nd professional fight.
On Tuesday evening, he tweeted: “Training camp has begun.
“I’m ready to get back in the ring and to further add to my legacy in the sport of boxing. Big news coming soon.”
A shock bout with interim WBC lightweight champion Ryan Garcia is in the works for Pacman, who is 20 years the boxing phenom’s senior.
Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao Promotions said of the talks: “They are ongoing and hopefully things will work out.”
A welterweight title unification fight with Errol Spence Jr, who looked spectacular in his return to the ring last December, has also been mooted.
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And despite his lengthy layoff, Pacquiao is confident of getting the better of the pound-for-pound king.
During an interview with BusinessMirror, the pride of the Philippines said of Spence: “He is too slow.
“Spence is slower than Thurman but it’s going to be a good fight.”
Pacquiao was on course to take part in a multi-million-pound crossover fight with UFC superstar Conor McGregor later this year.
The Irishman’s shock loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, however, scuppered those plans.
Pacquiao was relishing the opportunity to lock horns with The Notorious, who he reckons underestimated his former featherweight rival.
He told ABS-CBN News: “Losing is part of the game. In sport there are winners and losers, that’s all.
“It is not about defeat, but about how you accept defeat in your life: how you get over that difficult time in your life.
“McGregor had already beaten his rival before and I think that made him underestimate him.”
