Pacquiao to return to the ring in late 2016

Just months after he declared the end of his professional fighting career, Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s long-time promoter, told the Guardian on Tuesday that the 37-year-old boxer wants to schedule his next fight.

The 37-year-old Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), boxing’s only eight-division titleholder, sat out for almost a year because he further injured his bum rotator cuff against Mayweather and had postfight surgery.

Many pacquiao intends to return to the ring any time this year, his long-time promoter Bob Arum has said.

All signs pointed to a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner, but after Pacquiao’s side insists that Broner priced himself out of negotiations (with a rumored asking price of a $10M minimum), Arum says he has to look elsewhere.

“There is no truth to media reports that I’m planning to take a leave from my Senate duties just to fight again atop the ring”, Pacquiao said in a statement.

Last month, Arum told the Review-Journal he had the Mandalay Bay Events Center saved for October 15 in case Pacquiao chose to return.

Despite insisting that his rubber match against Timothy Bradley last April would be his last fight, Manny Pacquiao has already made it known that he’s got the itch to fight back (or it never left) and he’s looking to step into the ring this November.

Pacquiao’s advisor Michael Koncz told ESPN that he working with both Arum and Pacquiao on fight plans.

From what we are getting from Arum is that the date will have to coincide with Pacquiao being able to take a leave of absence from his Senator duties.

While Manny Pacquiao can obviously still fight at an elite level, it’s somewhat disconcerting that he’s so abruptly ending his retirement after assuming such a crucial political position in his homeland. He misses the training.

We’re trying to clear a building in Las Vegas.

As for Pacquiao’s next fight opponent, Vargas is in the mix, BoxingScene revealed. Arum has dismissed Adrien Broner as an opponent telling ESPN.com his asking price “was a insane number”. “He wants to do the fight, and they have other events in there, and they’re doing what they have to do to make it happen”. One thing is for certain though, he is still one of the top fighters in the world, based on his last performance against Bradley. If he will be asked, Pacquiao will surely want a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao, who spent six years in the Philippines House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate two weeks ago, will reportedly train around his Senate duties.

Pacquiao said he owes to the Filipino people to attend each Senate sessions and do his job as a public servant. “I’m not sure who but we want a meaningful fight and an entertaining fight”.