On April 3, Manny ‘Jimuel’ Pacquiao Jnr gets second chance at first win
Manny Pacquiao Jnr, aka “Jimuel,” is hoping for a better performance – and a better outcome – than in his pro debut.
Pacquiao, namesake son of the legendary eight-division champion, had his first fight in the paid ranks last November on a show promoted by his father. But he was fortunate to escape with a draw against Brendan Lally, 23-year-old high school teacher who was also making his debut but was a college boxing champion.
The 25-year-old Pacquiao Jnr was originally due to return February 28 against Luis E Santana Figueroa, an 0-2 fighter from Puerto Rico, on the undercard of a Manny Pacquiao Promotions show in upstate New York headlined by Elijah Pierce vs. Lorenzo Parra. That fight didn’t take place.
Instead, Pacquiao’s second pro bout will be a four-rounder this Friday, April 3 on the undercard of the IBF strawweight title fight between Pedro Taduran, 19-4-1 (13 KOs), and Gustavo Perez Alvarez, 16-1 (5 KOs).
The show will take place at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, the same site as Pacquiao-Lally. It will be broadcast on ESPN Knockout.
Pacquiao’s foe is Darrick Gates, 0-1, a 36-year-old from Idaho Falls, Idaho. Gates’ sole bout under traditional boxing rules was in March 2024, when he was stopped in less than two minutes by the 1-0 Jursly Vargas.
BoxRec also lists Gates as having competed in bare-knuckle bouts (he is 1-6), as well as a bare-knuckle variation on ice while wearing skates (he is 1-0).
The other bouts scheduled for this card are:
Lazaro Lorenzana, 19-0, (13 KOs) vs. Esneiker Correa, 16-6-3 (14 KOs), middleweights, 10 rounds
Joseph Subia, 3-0-1 (3 KOs), vs. Francisco Casillas, 3-0-2 (2 KOs), featherweights, four rounds
Paolo Barredo, 5-0, (2 KOs) vs. Roberto Almazan Monreal, 13-26-1 (5 KOs), lightweights, six rounds
Gael Antonio Villegas, 0-0, vs. Alexander Nakamura, 0-1, junior featherweights, four rounds
Malikah Salazar, 0-0, vs. Stephen Barbee, 1-6 (0 KOs), lightweights, four rounds