Manny Pacquiao succeeded in his comeback to the ring, defeating DK Yoo by majority decision in an exhibition battle at the Korean International Exhibition Center on December 11.
In the six-round bout, the Filipino boxing legend dominated the Korean mixed martial artist with bursts of brilliance that made him the only eight-division world champion in boxing.
Pacquiao has not fought in almost a year since his August 2021 unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in his unsuccessful WBA super welterweight championship defense.
A month later, he quit from professional boxing to run for president.
Pacquiao appeared to be head and shoulders above his opponent, Yoo, who teaches the Warfare Combat System on his YouTube channel, when he transformed the bout into a one-sided affair.
Yoo, who was four inches taller than Pacquiao, kept him at bay for the first two rounds. However, Pacquiao grabbed control in the third and fourth rounds, leaving Yoo with a bleeding nose after a torrent of blows.
Yoo gained time in the fifth round by complaining to the referee that Pacquiao had struck him in the back of the head.
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This, however, just served to prolong the inevitable, as Pacquiao scored a knockdown in the last round and Yoo fought to survive long enough for the bout to reach its conclusion.
“It’s great to be back in the ring, especially in this exhibition bout for charity,” remarked Pacquiao.
Pacquiao intends to build homes for needy Filipinos with the money from the match.
His return to boxing has sparked rumors of a future rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has continued to compete in exhibition bouts during his retirement.
Mayweather has participated in five exhibition contests, the most recent of which was a technical knockout victory over British YouTuber Deji Olatunji in November.
Pacquiao revealed, however, that he has no clue if a rematch of his 2015 megabuck bout with Mayweather will occur.
“He always changes his mind,” Pacquiao stated.
Pacquiao is currently concentrating on recovering his best form as he prepares for potential contests next year.
