Another exhibition for Pacman?  

MANILA, Philippines — Australian promoter and matchmaker Peter Maniatis said yesterday an offer has been made by the Papua New Guinea government for Manny Pacquiao to engage former two-time WBA supermiddleweight champion Anthony Mundine in a six-round exhibition in Port Moresby next year. “We’re hoping for July and we’re waiting on the government tourism to write the check to confirm it,” said Maniatis.

“Papua New Guinea is very excited to host. Mundine is well-known in the country and I remember visiting a few years ago with immigration officials giving us the red carpet treatment when they recognized him.” Maniatis said an open-air rugby stadium will be the venue for the no-weight-limit “friendly” with a canopy over the ring. Depending on US airing, it may be held during the day to catch American fans on prime time pay-per-view.

Maniatis said this will be different from Pacquiao’s recent “fight” with Korean DK Yoo in Seoul. “Yoo’s a YouTuber,” he said. “Mundine is a former world champion. This will be boxer against boxer.” Maniatis declined to reveal what the offer for Pacquiao is but said it’s considerable. Although there will be no weight limit, Maniatis said he expects Mundine to scale within 168 pounds. Pacquiao, 44, weighed 161 for Yoo.

Mundine, 47, retired in 2021 with a 48-11 record, including 28 KOs. His common opponents with Pacquiao are Jeff Horn, Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley. He lost to Horn and Clottey but beat Mosley. MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said whether Pacquiao accepts the offer or not is still up in the air. “That’s way down the road,” he said. “They’re talking July or August. Who knows? Anything’s possible.” After the Seoul exhibition, Pacquiao hinted of a possible comeback for a “real” fight but nothing was conclusive. It’s too soon for Pacquiao to confirm any plans as he’s keeping everyone guessing on what’s next on his agenda.