Dubai: Eight division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao arrived in Dubai on Monday night and struck the right chord in his first interaction with the media. “I feel so happy to be here in Dubai. This is my first time, thank you for the warm welcome, especially to the Filipino people of Dubai,” he said.
The 36-year-old Filipino fighter is in the emirate with the Mahindra Enforcers, a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team, which he owns, coaches and plays for. The Enforcers will be playing against the Alaska Aces in a PBA Philippines Cup tie at Al Wasl Club from 7pm on Friday.
He's arrived #MannyinDubai #MannyPacquiao @GulfNewsSport #Dubai https://t.co/NZxEUpLFcz— Ashley Hammond (@ashleymhammond) November 2, 2015
American boxing legend Mike Tyson also arrived in Dubai on Monday morning to ‘support’ Pacquiao, according to a source, a puzzling claim given that Pacman won’t be playing in the event due to injury. Pacquiao injured his shoulder in his last fight to America’s Floyd Mayweather Junior, which he lost by unanimous decision in May of this year, and he will be out until March 2016.
Here's Manny striding into #Dubai Airport. Wonder if he had smart gate? #MannyinDubai pic.twitter.com/1Oills6r64— Gulf News Sport (@GulfNewsSport) November 2, 2015
Asked about the possibility of a final fight sometime in April before hanging up his gloves at the Dubai airport, Pacquiao was forthright: “Of course I would like to have my next fight in Dubai, we are working on that.
Is a re-match with Mayweather likely? “I don’t know yet but I am open to a re-match with him but it depends on the negotiation. I am open to fight anybody, there’s Amir Khan, the re-match with Floyd, but there’s also Danny Garcia and Terrence Crawford on the radar,” he said.
A source close to Pacquiao’s camp told Gulf News that Tyson’s arrival could be to support the Filipino legend in possible upcoming discussions with his hosts here in Dubai regarding the location of his final fight, a potential rematch with Mayweather next April.
“Yes he [Mike Tyson] is in Dubai maybe to support Manny for his last fight to be staged in Dubai,” said the source. “More celebrities are expected to come,” the source added.
A local organiser of the PBA matches in Dubai this weekend also posted on social media: “Mike Tyson just arrived in Dubai this morning. Is it possible that we could see him on November 6 at Al Wasl Sports Club?”
Last month, Pacquiao was invited to visit Doha, Qatar, to observe the World Amateur Boxing Championships, and he left enough hints there that he was courting the region as a potential host venue for his next fight.
While in Dubai, Pacquiao will visit his legion of fans at the du Store at Dubai Mall on Wednesday from 4pm, followed by a similar appearance at Go Sport at Mall of the Emirates after 6pm on Thursday. “I am in here for the next few days, I will go around and see the beauty of Dubai, meet the Filipino people and play basketball,” the icon said.
