Dubai: Eight division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao arrives at Dubai Airport Terminal One from 6.45pm on Monday ahead of this weekend’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) matches at Al Wasl Club.
The 36-year-old Filipino pugilist is in the UAE as head coach of the Mahindra Enforcers PBA side, who will play Alaska Aces in the Philippine Cup on Friday. The Aces will then play Barangay Ginebra at the same venue on Saturday.
During his stay, Pacquiao - who lost his long-awaited clash with America’s Floyd Mayweather Junior by unanimous decision earlier this year - is scheduled to meet legion of fans at the Du Store at Dubai Mall on Wednesday and the Go Sports outlet at Mall of the Emirates on Thursday.
‘Pacman’, as he’s more affectionately known, is a keen basketball player and plays at point guard, but he won’t be on court for the Enforcers this weekend, because he is still recovering from a career-threatening shoulder injury sustained during May 2’s points defeat to Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Topic of conversation, if the man from General Santos, Mindanao, will afford reporters a moment of his time, will centre around his next move in boxing, where he is rumoured to be lining up a rematch with Mayweather next year.
The bout would represent a swansong for both fighters with Mayweather now 38-years-old and in search of just one more victory to surpass Rocky Marciano’s record of 49 bouts unbeaten. The Michigan native dubbed ‘Money’ equalled that tally with a unanimous decision defeat of compatriot Andre Berto in September.
Pacquiao’s record of 65 fights and 57 wins, 38 by knockout, may be blemished with six defeats, but one last crack at denying Mayweather a clean sweep before retirement would reinstall him as the people’s champion.
Away from boxing, the next few months are also pivotal politically for the Filipino legend. He’s already a congressman for his native Sarangani province in the south of the country, but last month he officially filed his paperwork to run for senator in next May’s Filipino general elections, where he hopes to champion the cause of the poor and offer more support to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
It’s those policies, and his ability to switch forms from boxer to basketball player, and singer to hopeful senator, that will endear him to the UAE public, where over 700,000 - almost nine per cent of the total UAE population - hail from the South East Asian archipelago.
This visit may also enliven long-running speculation surrounding the UAE’s ability to host a big-money bout at some point in the future. And if Pacquiao can charm his hosts in the emirates this week he may just be back this time next year with Mayweather.
