Japanese fans gobble up Pacman tickets

Japanese fight fans are going loco over this Sunday night’s headliner starring Manny Pacquiao.

Tickets to Pacquiao’s three-round exhibition match with Rukiya Anpo are selling briskly that only ¥220,000 (P83,000) haven’t been gobbled up.

The Saitama Super Arena, which has a maximum capacity of 36,000 but is normally reconfigured to accommodate between 19,000 to 22,000, offers seven types of tickets.

Yokohama-based boxing man Kei Nidaira reported that even the ultra-pricey ¥1,100,000 (P415,000) tickets are no longer available.

Others that went on sale and have been purchased were priced at ¥550,000 (P207,000), ¥55,000 (P20,757), ¥35,200 (P13,288) and the cheapest at ¥33,000 (P12,459).

Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division legend, arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda airport late Tuesday night from Manila with his team and family.

He did a light workout Wednesday morning as he braces for his second exhibition match since meeting DK Yoo in Seoul in December 2022.

Last time he fought in the professional ranks, Pacquiao, 45, lost to Yordenis Ugas of Cuba in Las Vegas in August 2021.

If all goes well this weekend, Pacquiao sees himself attempting to regain the world welterweight crown in October or November in the United States.

In fact, Buboy Fernandez is using the exhibition as a vital part of their rigid preparation for that much-awaited shot at the world title.

Anpo will be the tallest rival Pacquiao is going to face in his illustrious career.

He beat Antonio Margarito, who is a shade below six feet, and Chris Algieri, who is an inch shorter.

The southpaw Pacquiao stands almost 5-foot-6.