Pacquiao to Face Provodnikov in April 18 Exhibition Bout

Manny Pacquiao, the 47-year-old Filipino boxing legend, will return to the ring on April 18 for a 10-round welterweight exhibition bout against former junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The matchup, announced Tuesday by promoters Indistry Media and Banner Promotions, marks Pacquiao's second fight since ending a four-year retirement in 2021. His previous outing came in July, when he faced WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios and fought to a majority draw, with two judges scoring it even and the third giving Barrios a 115-113 edge. That result updated Pacquiao's professional record to 62 wins, 8 losses and 2 draws across 72 bouts.

Pacquiao, who became the first boxer to win titles in eight weight divisions and the oldest welterweight champion at age 40 in 2019, had initially aimed for a professional return that included title opportunities. Discussions involving Barrios and WBA welterweight champion Rolando Romero failed to materialize, as did exploratory talks with other fighters such as Juan Manuel Marquez and Tim Bradley. An earlier planned date of January 24 passed without a confirmed opponent, leading to this...