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Manny Pacquiao is one day away from his exhibition three rounds bout against former K-1 champion Rukiya Anpo in Saitama, Japan. Meanwhile, Ryan Garcia has arrived in the country to attend the RIZIN 3 event as he had promised on social media previously! However, soon after arrival, Garcia seems to have sent fans into a frenzy with his latest post on social media facing off against ‘Pac-Man’.

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45-year-old Pacquiao has previously shown openness about potentially facing Ryan Garcia among others, but no one expected it to happen. On the other hand, Ryan Garcia is currently serving his one-year ban from boxing after testing positive for banned substances during the Devin Haney fight. Regardless, Garcia didn’t miss this opportunity to get the fans talking with his latest post.

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Ryan Garcia Stuns Fans with Tokyo Face-Off

A handful of days ago, Ryan Garcia took to his Instagram account to announce he will be heading to Japan, writing, “To all my Japanese fans in Tokyo, I’M ON MY WAY! I‘m headed to Super Rizin 3”. On 25th July, he reached the country and today shared a picture of himself facing off against ‘Pac-Man’ on X and Instagram. 

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In his post on Instagram, Garcia wrote, “It’s on like donkey Kong @mannypacquiao[.] I love you and respect you But a battle is a battle[.]” Meanwhile, his tweet on X read, “[Let] the games begin”. Pacquiao was on the headlines for potentially facing Mario Barrios, but no one had seen this coming. So, people quickly took the comment section to let Ryan know it won’t end well for his health.

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‘Pac-Man’ hasn’t fought in a professional boxing match since his August 2021 loss to Yordenis Ugas. Despite that, it didn’t take long for fans to warn Garcia about the consequences. One user suggested such a fight could potentially be life threatening for Garcia. Forget about life threatening, it’s highly unlikely such a bout would ever happen, at least in the US.

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Another user echoed similar sentiments, suggesting despite the age gap, they have a sneaky feeling Pacquiao would easily win the fight. While Pacquiao is formidable, age gets to everyone, and the right division champion is no different.

Meanwhile, this user was repulsed by the idea, claiming such fights are “not right”. This user might not want to tune in on Netflix on November 15th!

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While the previous user was against the fight, this guy was all for it, going as far as to suggest that the fight should happen in Japan. Well, it could happen in Japan, but it won’t be recognized by the sanctioning bodies in the US.

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Someone else highlighted that Ryan Garcia would face several issues in defeating Manny Pacquiao if the fight happens. If Pacquiao can channel his former self with the crazy hand speed, ring IQ, and movement, it is possible. 

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Having said that, the post from Ryan Garcia is most likely a way of hyping up Pacquiao’s upcoming bout. But who knows? Crazier things are happening, and Pacquiao and Garcia may just end up facing each other. Would you watch that fight?

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Written by

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Sudeep Sinha

4,212 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports with over two years of experience covering the science at the ES RingSide Desk. Known for sharp fight-night coverage and detailed analysis, Sudeep has become one of the desk’s leading boxing minds. His work has been featured on major platforms such as Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, where he covers everything from amateur boxing developments to high-profile controversies like Ryan Garcia career arc. Sudeep balances his professional writing career with a personal passion for reading, cycling, and lively debates about boxing match-ups and trends on social media. He takes pride in delivering engaging stories that resonate with both hardcore boxing enthusiasts and casual fans alike, providing clear insights into fighter strategies, training, and the evolving dynamics of the sport.

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Snigdhaa Jaiswal

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