Manny Pacquiao faces an unknown quantity on his comeback to the sport after agreeing to face a late replacement opponent.
The boxing legend had agreed to battle Chihiro Suzuki until the kickboxer dropped out of the fight due to injury. Former K1 Super Lightweight titleholder Rukiya Anpo stepped in to face the “Pac-Man” on July 28.
Pacquiao vs. Anpo is on the Super RIZIN 3 card at Saitama Super Arena, but the smaller fighter will face a far more difficult challenge. Suzuki stands 5″ 8ins tall, whereas Anpo is six feet tall – a big difference to a fighter who is only 5″ 4ins in Pacquiao.
Anpo will have an eight-inch height advantage on fight night as Pacquiao tries to get to grips with a rangy combat specialist known as ‘The Demolition Man” and boasts fourteen knockouts.
RIZIN modified the rules to favor Pacquiao, hoping to secure the Filipino superstar for more events. When Anpo agreed to the fight, they confirmed, “Yogibo presents Super RIZIN 3 – a Special Standing Bout [under boxing] Rules at 69 kilograms. Manny Pacquiao vs Rukiya Anpo, the 4th K-1 Super Lightweight Champion. Suzuki is out due to injury.”
Manny Pacquiao faces a far sterner test than Floyd Mayweather
Having been training for Suzuki and now Anpo but with little knowledge of these fighters, Pacquaio will be banking on his superior pugilistic skills to get the job done. It worked for rival Floyd Mayweather on New Year’s Eve of 2018.
Mayweather, however, gave himself the most significant advantage he could when facing Tenshin Nasukawa in his cross-codes RIZIN event. Mayweather outweighed Tenshin by almost thirty pounds on fight night, dropping Nasukawa three times for an easy first-round victory.
It’s a far different story for Pacquiao, who puts Mayweather to shame with their contrasting choice of challenges. The 45-year-old will probably weigh less than Anpo, who campaigns in the 70-kilogram category, equating to 154 pounds [super welterweight in boxing].
Pacquiao is smaller, holds far less reach, and will be slighter on the scales, leaving Mayweather’s previous offering on the RIZIN circuit with much to be desired.
Anything less than a commanding performance from Pacquiao could also jeopardize a proposed WBC welterweight title fight against Mario Barrios in the fall. If the former 105-pound titlist doesn’t look good against Anpo and dominate the fight as Floyd Mayweather did, the call for immediate retirement will be deafening.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
