Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Pacman to fight Rios in Macau

Manny Pacquiao's return to the ring will be against Brandon Rios on Nov. 24, 2013(Nov. 24, US time) at The Venetian in Macau, China. It will be a 12-round welterweight bout for the which will be distributed on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S.

According to Michael Koncz, Manny's adviser, the choice to go with Rios was made because of the style matchup. With Rios being a straight-ahead fighter who loves to brawl thus making it a sensational television bout. "Rios isn't going to get in there and dance around and run around," Koncz said. "He's going to come to fight. He'll move straight forward and try to brawl with Manny, and that's the kind of fight that will be very entertaining for the fans. Anyone who knows these two guys knows there's really no other way for them to fight."

Though he lost 2 of his last fights, Pacquiao remains one of boxing's biggest stars both at the gate and via pay-per-view. He's also overly popular in Asia. He appeals to many of the high-rolling Asian gamblers, who would come out in bigger numbers than they traditionally do for a Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas. Major League Baseball Advanced Media will distribute the online pay-per-view in China, Arum said.

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