Pacquiao struggles in exhibition with kickboxer Anpo

Rukiya Anpo stepped in for the injured Chihiro Suzuki

45-year-old Manny Pacquiao didn’t make a great case for challenging WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in his exhibition match with K-1 veteran Rukiya Anpo on last night’s Super RIZIN 3 show.

Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KO) was originally slated to face fast-rising knockout artist Chihiro Suzuki, who was forced out after suffering an injury against MMA legend Takanori Gomi. The towering Anpo (27-8 Kickboxing) presented a very different sort of threat, and Pacquiao struggled to deal with “Demolition Man’s” reach and sharp straight punches in the opening round. Though Pacquiao found some footing in the second, showing off some of the blistering combination work that carried him to the top, he clearly felt Anpo’s punches more than vice-versa.

This came to a head in the third round, an all-out slugfest that had the normally taciturn Japanese crowd roaring and Anpo grinning ear to ear. Anpo visibly rocked Pacquiao with a 1-2 around two minutes in, but Pacquiao survived to fire back until the bell.

While neither man got his hand raised, as is standard for these sorts of exhibitions, Anpo clearly had the better of things. Pacquiao clearly still has the fire and some of the offensive prowess, but he didn’t react well to getting hit, his defense seemed shaky, and he couldn’t close the distance like in the old days.

Even if you chalk up his struggles to rust, Anpo’s size, and/or the fact that he only had three rounds to work with, I don’t want to see this version of “Pac-Man” fight a top welterweight. Hopefully this is the reality check he needed.