A movie star, politician, boxer, and now, Manny Pacquiao has also featured in a hit anime series of all places ahead of his rematch with Floyd Mayweather in September, which was announced just a week ago. According to ‘Source of Boxing,’ the Filipino boxing legend appeared in the new Netflix anime series ‘Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai.’

“Manny Pacquiao has made a surprise cameo in the new Baki Hanma anime sequel, ‘BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai,’” ‘Source of Boxing’ wrote on X alongside a poster of Pacquiao’s character. “The series is now streaming on Netflix.”

In case anime isn’t your thing, Baki-Dou, which premiered on Netflix on February 26, is the fourth major arc in Keisuke Itagaki’s long-running Baki manga franchise. It follows the events of ‘Baki Hanma: Son of Ogre’ and shifts focus to a new era where the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto is revived and brought into the modern world. Why?

Well, to fight the strongest martial artists, including Baki Hanma, Yujiro Hanma, and others. Although Manny Pacquiao’s appearance in the anime is brief, fans were delighted to learn about his part in the anime. Interestingly, though, while Pacquiao’s name was mentioned for the first time in the anime, he did make an appearance once before. 

‘In Baki Hanma: Son of Ogre,’ there’s a fictional boxer named Akio Mani, a clear parody of Manny Pacquiao. While his anime parody was a nod to his past fame, Pacquiao is now focused on a real-life main event that has been years in the making. Having fought back in May 2015, which saw ‘Money’ Mayweather emerge as the winner, ‘Pacman’ and Mayweather will collide once again on September 19, 2026, at The Sphere in Las Vegas, live on Netflix. 

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The Filipino boxing legend originally retired from the sport in 2021 shortly after his loss to Yordenis Ugás. While continuing to appear in exhibition fights every now and then, it was only last year that he made his comeback to the sport. ‘Pacman’ took on former WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in a professional title fight.

However, ‘Pacman’ failed to fully roll back the years to secure a victory, as the fight reached a controversial majority decision draw. Regardless, the path to this rematch wasn’t smooth, as the entire bout hinged on a critical demand from Pacquiao that Floyd Mayweather was initially unwilling to meet.

Manny Pacquiao forces Floyd Mayweather to accept his terms or walk

Speaking to SportsCenter recently, Manny Pacquiao revealed that Mayweather was initially pushing for an exhibition. However, ‘Pacman’ outright refused the demand, insisting the bout must be a professional contest or it won’t happen at all. 

“Before, he wanted an exhibition fight against me, but I disagreed, and I didn’t want to fight under exhibition rules,” Pacquiao said. “I want to fight a real fight, so this is it. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”

Mayweather was wary of risking his 50-0 record. But Pacquiao, fresh from a draw with Mario Barrios, believes the timing is right.

“I learned a lot from that fight way back in 2015,” he added. “I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”

Mayweather’s decision to accept Pacquiao’s terms might also be influenced by his current legal troubles. Mayweather is also expected to face Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight on April 25 in the Republic of Congo.

With a new anime cameo and a long-awaited professional rematch on the calendar, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for Pacquiao’s legacy. The only question left is whether he can rewrite the ending to his rivalry with Mayweather when the bright lights of Las Vegas switch on.