Chihiro Suzuki vs. Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao

Relax, it's just an exhibition*. July twenty-eighth at Saitama Super Arena, headlining "Super RIZIN 3".

*Suzuki, however, has stated grand ambitions to knock out the full gauntlet of combat sports athletes he is set to face in exhibitions over the remainder of the year...including Pacquiao, Pride lightweight legend Takanori Gomi, Kleber Koike Erbst, and Patrício "Pitbull" Freire. Quite a big game being talked by the half-Japanese mongrel (who also boasts Peruvian, Spanish and Russian blood), with current pro records of 12-1 (10) in kickboxing and 13-3 in MMA.

Pacquiao is two full decades older, and the Filipino southpaw is giving up 2½" of height and 3" in reach along with having not laced up gloves in three years. He is also an ATG and Suzuki a novice to boxing rules, so there's that.

 

The young upstart isn't the only one looking to parlay this opportunity into an ambitious grander plan. Pacquiao, should he knock Suzuki out in impressive fashion, is said to be going after Mario Barrios for the WBC interim welterweight belt. Super Rizin 3 will serve as a tuneup and barometer; if all goes well the ink is all but dried for Pac vs. Barrios in Vegas this fall.

 

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3 rounds, three minutes each, boxing rules with 8oz gloves.

 

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That would have made me very sad, because I was a big fan of the Wizard and he has no business in a ring.

You follow MMA/Muay Thai/kb a lot more closely than I do; this kid not on your radar? Pretty goddamn outrageous to state he's going to kayo Gomi, Pac, Pitbull, and Klebe in exhibitions one after the other, no?

 

First on his hit list is actually Gomi later this month...then Pac in July, then Klebe sometime in the summer/fall and finally the Pitbull rematch by end of year.

If he doesn't stop the also 45 year old Gomi under boxing rules (no sure thing) then he should abandon any delusions about stopping Pac.

 

I don't know, Pac vs. Buakaw was called off nearly three months before it was supposed to happen.

This is next month, and Rizin is already promoting it heavily. They had a press conference just yesterday.

 

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Super Rizin III still happening this Sunday, and Pac is still fighting - but against Anpo Rukiya, not Chihiro Suzuki.

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