WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (left) poses for a picture with his lookalike Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym during the presser for his title fight against Chris Algieri on Nov. 23 in Macau. BoxingScene.com
MANILA, Philippines—It’s hard to find a fighter like Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division champion.
But in terms of looks, Pacquiao came face to face with his doppelganger Wednesday night during the presser of his upcoming title fight with Chris Algieri.
“I had to do a double take,” Top Rank honcho Bob Arum said of Thai boxer Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym, who fights in the undercard against two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, in a story posted on BoxingScene.com.
“Here you have a Thai version of Manny Pacquiao facing Zou Shiming, who is trained by Manny’s trainer Freddie Roach,” added Arum, who introduced the Thai flyweight. “It will be interesting to see Freddie’s face when he looks across the ring and sees a familiar face in the other corner.”
Shiming, China’s most accomplished amateur boxer, also poked fun at Pacquiao’s lookalike.
“It’s an honor to fight on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao,” said Shiming. “I’ve always wanted to face the very best fighters in the world. Manny Pacquiao is the very best in the world and now I’m facing his lookalike.”
It will be interesting to see though, if he also fights like Pacquiao against the caliber of Shiming with a crack at a possible title bout at stake.