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Manny Pacquiao’s 2024 Paris Olympics Dream Gets Massive Update

Published 10/09/2023, 1:45 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The greatest of all time debate between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is as old as one can remember. Fans from either side of the fence aren’t willing to budge. Mayweather Jr. remains an undefeated, five-division champion. On the other hand, Pacquiao fans never fail to highlight his unmatched eight-division feat. However, as is often seen, the American champion’s fans still appear to hold the cards. Their icon is an Olympic bronze medalist.

But Manny Pacquiao might catch up with that deficit that has eluded his illustrious career thus far. A few weeks ago, news of the ‘PacMan’ wanting to wind up his long-lasting boxing affair with a swan song came about. The former champion has also made a name for himself in public service. Hence, he would love to win a boxing gold medal for his country. The latest report on the endeavor further attests to his seriousness.

Manny Pacquiao counts down for a showdown

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Yesterday, talkSPORT editor Michael Benson shared that the Philippine Olympic Committee has reportedly placed a formal request with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider their plea to allow Manny Pacquiao to participate in next year’s Summer Olympics under the universality rule. In countries where athletes face difficulties qualifying for the games through regular channels, they are often provided with universality spots.

According to an article on ‘rapler.com,’ the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) put their faith in receiving an exception for Manny Pacquiao. He fought his last professional fight two years ago.

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But many still question whether the eight-division champion’s decision to chase the Olympic dream is prudent. During the 2016 Rio de Janeiro edition, the rule barring professional boxers from participating in the Olympics was lifted. Thus, former WBO Featherweight challenger Carmine Tommasone, 20-1-0, became the first professional boxer to receive the honors. However, some of the outcomes have left several fans and followers shocked.

A former IBF Flyweight champion from Thailand, Amnat Ruenroeng, lost his match in the round of sixteen to an amateur boxer, Sofiane Oumiha from France, during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. But then, on the other hand, Uzbek boxer Bakhodir Jalolov ended up winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He turned to professional boxing in 2018 and remains an unbeaten boxer.

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What’s your take on Pacquiao’s decision on Olympic participation? Do you think it’s a risky move? Please share your views with us in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Jaideep R Unnithan

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Jaideep Unnithan is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. With over 400 articles authored at ES, Jaideep has built a reputation for diving deep into stories and producing detailed reports. Jaideep's passion for the sport of boxing was ignited when his father shared his experience of watching Ali vs Frazier live in the US.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai