Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek (legend) and Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao. - Image from The Nation Thailand/ANN
BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Organisers of a historic fight between two boxing greats – Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek and Filipino boxer-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao – insist that the match has not been cancelled, just postponed.
In a statement released on its website on Saturday, Fresh Air Festival said that contrary to media reports, the highly anticipated “The Match of Legends” has just been postponed from its original date of April 20.
Putting the delay down to unidentified “force majeure”, the company said the event will “certainly occur” this year.
“We are still confident that a date, time and venue will be finalised, and everybody will certainly be able to enjoy this great match that we have been waiting for in 2024,” Fresh Air Festival said in its Facebook post.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the long-awaited clash between Pacquiao and Buakaw was scheduled for April 20 at Impact Arena at Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province.
In the press release issued on Saturday, the company said discussions on the new date for the historic match are still ongoing.
“While discussions for the event date are ongoing, some inaccurate reports have unfortunately surfaced suggesting its cancellation.
"We appreciate your interest in this potential match and assure you that official updates will be communicated directly through our authorised channels once confirmed,” the organisers said.
“We understand the enthusiasm surrounding this potential event and apologise for any confusion caused by the premature reports. We remain committed to delivering a captivating event worthy of these legendary athletes and their dedicated fans,” said the press release issued by Tigonz Co Ltd on behalf of Fresh Air Festival and Moon & Star Walk.
Buakaw, regarded as one of the best Muay Thai fighters of all time, has won multiple titles during his long career in Thailand and overseas.
Pacquiao aka “PacMan”, also regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, served as a senator in the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.
Vinij Lertrattanchai, chief executive of Fresh Air Festival, told the press in July last year that Pacquiao and Buakaw would fight in the under-70-kilogram weight class. The match will see six rounds of three minutes each, with a two-minute break in between, and is expected to cost over 860 million baht.
