DAVID VS GOLIATH - Japanese roadblock stands in Pacquiao’s way

TOKYO — Manny Pacquiao is on course for a shot at one of the world welterweight titles in October or November in the United States.

That seems to be a done deal based on Pacquiao’s pronouncements here where he takes on Japanese kickboxing ace Rukiya Anpo Sunday night in neighboring Saitama.

But all that could change in the unfortunate event that Anpo, who stands six-feet tall and towers over Pacquiao by six inches, lands a lucky knockout shot in their scheduled six-round exhibition match at the Saitama Super Arena.

A jampacked crowd of 40,000 is expected to show up and Pacquiao swears his main priority is to give the fans a great show.

Of course, Pacquiao’s interpretation is a little different from merely delighting the fans.

By coming up with a solid showing, it simply means that Pacquiao is going to emerge victorious.

Because if he doesn’t, that mouthwatering matchup would go up in smoke.

Still, Pacquiao remains upbeat that he will get the job done even if Anpo climbs the ring all stuffed up.

“No problem with me even if he goes up the ring like a heavyweight,” said Pacquiao, who at 45, is almost three years removed from his last professional fight.

With his eyes on a shot at the world title later in the year, Pacquiao went the extra mile in building up for Anpo.

He trained almost exclusively in General Santos City and his regimen resembled that of a training camp for a big fight, something that was not the case when he took on Korean DK Yoo in his first exhibition event in Korea in 2022.

Pacquiao arrived here on Tuesday night with his family, friends and members of his training team and he could not help but express his gratitude for the warm welcome they all have been receiving.