MANNY PACQUIAO ANNOUNCES THRILLA IN MANILA 2 RETURN
Thrilla in Manila 2 is official for Oct 29, 2025, at Manila's Smart Araneta Coliseum. Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions presents a historic card featuring Melvin Jerusalem vs. Siyakholwa Kuse and Nico Ali Walsh.
Thrilla in Manila 2 is official, according to a recent announcement from Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions in collaboration with IBA Pro. The bout will take place on October 29, 2025, in the storied Smart Araneta Coliseum, the same venue where boxing became a myth and a source of blood. For those who still believe that boxing's heartbeat has not slowed, Manila is already trembling, and this one is available for streaming everywhere.
The October 1 announcement at Araneta Mall was a warning shot rather than a cheesy nostalgic gimmick. Pacquiao is reminding the sport where true fight history was established and bringing the ghosts of Ali and Frazier back into the spotlight. With his chin pulled in and his gloves on, he is bringing the past forward rather than turning to the past for solace.
Can Manila See Two Lightning Strikes?
Fifty years after Ali-Frazier made the Philippines the beating heart of boxing, Thrilla in Manila 2 is preparing for an evening full of tales rather than hype. WBC Minimumweight Champion Melvin Jerusalem, representing hometown tenacity versus Siyakholwa Kuse of South Africa, is the main attraction. Add to that the fact that Muhammad Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, is walking the same paths that made his grandfather a god.
Pacquiao's remarks came directly from his heart:
"As a child, the Thrilla in Manila ignited a fire within me," he remarked. "I am transferring that fire onto the next generation by bringing Thrilla in Manila 2 here."
Al Siesta, the head of IBA Pro, referred to it as a "game-changer", and for once, he was correct. It smells like a bridge from the past to the future, something more significant than boxing.
The Card: International Noise Meets Manila's Fire
The lineup is unclean. Melvin Jerusalem is defending his title in a bout that might quickly become ugly and be over before anybody can blink. Next up is the six-round bout between Nico Ali Walsh and Kittisak Klinson, which is full of evil intentions and bloodlines. “Expect fireworks,” Walsh added, and for once, a fighter’s vow might really deliver.
Think sweat, body shots, and broken ribs as former two-division champion Marlon "The Nightmare" Tapales (38-4, 20 KOs) squares up against Fernando Toro of Venezuela in a real 10-round brawl.
Carl Jammes "Wonder Boy" Martin, who is not coming in to lose, defends his perfect 23-0 record against Aran Dipaen.
Following his Olympic success, Eumir Marcial resumes swinging leather, and his blows resemble a hammer striking a wall.
The support of IBA Pro translates into organisation, statistics, and a new broadcast advantage. It gets that local grit by partnering with Pacquiao's Blow by Blow brand. The right combination of Philippine anarchy and global polish makes for an unforgettable fight night.
October 29, 2025: Thrilla in Manila 2 Fight Card (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
Siyakholwa Kuse of South Africa vs. Melvin Jerusalem (22-3, 12 KOs): 12 rounds, World Title for WBC Minimum weight
Kittisak Klinson (Thailand) vs. Nico Ali Walsh (11-1, 7 KOs): 6 rounds, Super Middleweight
Fernando Toro (Venezuela) vs. Marlon "The Nightmare" Tapales (38-4, 20 KOs) — 10 rounds, featherweights
Aran Dipaen (Thailand) vs. Carl Jammes "Wonder Boy" Martin (23-0, 18 KOs) — 10 rounds, Super Bantamweights
Middleweight Eumir Marcial (5-0, 3 KOs) in a 6-round fight (opponent to be determined)
Eman Bacosa (10-0, 6 KOs) vs. Lightweights, 6 rounds (opponent to be determined)
GERVONTA DAVIS ARRESTED IN MIAMI ON BATTERY, KIDNAPPING, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT CHARGES
Gervonta Davis is in custody after a two-week manhunt. Facing kidnapping charges, the star has been stripped of his WBA title.
Gervonta Davis, who’s a three-division world champ and one of boxing’s biggest names, landed in jail Wednesday in Miami—almost two weeks after police put out a warrant for his arrest. They’re accusing him of battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping tied to an alleged domestic violence incident from last fall.
Police in Miami Gardens said they tracked Davis for several days across three counties, working with the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. When they caught up with him in Miami’s Design District, he didn’t put up a fight. They booked him into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre late Wednesday.
Cops say all this goes back to something that happened on October 27 at a strip club in Miami Gardens. The woman at the centre of the case used to date Davis and was working there as a VIP cocktail server that night. Police claim Davis confronted her inside, forced her into a back room, assaulted her, then kept her restrained before taking her outside.
In the report, police say Davis grabbed her by the hair and throat, threatened her, and led her out to the parking lot, where he finally let her go. She found coworkers, got help, and called the police. Officers say she had visible bruises on her arm.
She told investigators she met Davis back in 2022. They dated for a few months in 2025, but she broke things off about a month before the incident and had stopped talking to him.
Besides going to the police, she also filed a civil lawsuit against Davis for battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. Her attorney said the police investigation lines up with what she claimed in her suit.
“The investigation led to a judge signing off on the arrest warrant,” her attorney said back in January. “That matches the allegations in the lawsuit.”
Court records show her lawyers tried over and over to serve Davis with the lawsuit, but couldn’t find him for weeks.
At a press conference on January 14, Miami Gardens police called it a domestic violence case and said they were working with federal agents to track Davis down. When asked for more details Wednesday night, police said they couldn’t share anything else because the case is still active.
Last fall, Davis was in Miami training for a big fight with influencer Jake Paul, set for November at Kaseya Centre. Once the lawsuit hit the news, Davis was taken off the card, and Anthony Joshua stepped in. Davis last fought in March, when he held onto his WBA lightweight title after a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr in Brooklyn.
But over the weekend, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza announced they stripped Davis of the title, pointing to the legal case and his long absence from the ring. Davis has only defended the title twice in three years—most recently against Roach, which was more than ten months ago—and he doesn’t have another fight lined up.
This isn’t Davis’s first run-in with the law. He’s had several domestic violence allegations in Florida and elsewhere, though many were later dropped. In 2023, he got three years’ probation and some house arrest for a hit-and-run in Baltimore.
Right now, it’s not clear if these new Florida charges will mess with his probation in Maryland or delay any future fights. Jail and court records didn’t say when he’ll first appear in court in Miami-Dade.
Miami Gardens police say their investigation is still going and aren’t commenting further.
OFFICIAL: TYSON FURY TO FIGHT ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV LIVE ON NETFLIX APRIL 11
Tyson Fury is back! The "Gypsy King" ends his retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in Netflix's first live UK show.
Netflix keeps pushing deeper into the sports world, and boxing is turning out to be a real crowd-pleaser. Now, on April 11, they’re gearing up for another big night: Tyson Fury is stepping out of retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov. It’s not just another fight—this will be Netflix’s first-ever live event in the UK.
Fury seems pumped. “Excited to be back,” he said in a statement. “Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!” The last time he fought was back in December 2024, but you can tell he still feels right at home in the ring.
Gabe Spitzer, who handles sports at Netflix, is just as thrilled. He called Fury one of the most resilient and fascinating fighters of his generation. “His career is all about beating the odds, and there’s just something electric about watching him fight,” Spitzer said. “We can’t wait to see him back for this homecoming, and we love giving our members a front-row seat to the next chapter of the Gypsy King’s story.”
The event’s getting the royal treatment too—Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, is presenting, along with Sela and The Ring. Alalshikh’s name comes up a lot in combat sports these days. Saudi Arabia keeps landing some of the sport’s biggest fights, and the country even helped launch the Zuffa Boxing promotion with TKO.
“We’re happy Tyson decided to come out of retirement for what should be an exciting heavyweight clash against Makhmudov,” Alalshikh said.
Fury hasn’t fought since those back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, but his name still draws a crowd. A comeback fight in the UK—his home turf, where he hasn’t fought since 2022—only adds to the buzz.
For Netflix, Fury vs. Makhmudov is another notch in their belt. Last year, they pulled in huge numbers with several boxing shows, especially the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight in December. That one alone racked up over 33 million views around the world. Clearly, Netflix is betting big on boxing, and fans seem happy to watch.