The former world champion was believed to have hung up his gloves in the wake of high profile bouts with Timothy Bradley and Floyd Mayweather Jr., after which he successfully ran for the Philippines Senate.

Now however, promoter Bob Arum has announced the Pacman will make his comeback in Las Vegas later this year.

While many boxing fans are excited to see Pacquiao back in the ring, others are concerned this is a sign the senator is not fully focused on politics.

'Boxing is my only livelihood'

In a statement that neither confirmed nor denied his comeback, Pacquiao said "should there be (a fight), I'll make sure it will not interfere with my Senate duties."

"Boxing is my only means of livelihood to support my family and to help those who are in need. Politics, to me, is a vocation not a means to eke out a living," he said.

The statement has itself attracted criticism, given that Pacquiao is already by far the wealthiest lawmaker in the Philippines.

According to a 2015 statement listing his assets and liabilities, the boxer-turned-politician is worth around $69 million (3.2 billion Philippine pesos).

The next richest Philippines congressman is Julio Ledesma IV, with a net-worth of around $21 million (1 billion pesos). The average wage in the Philippines is just over 100,000 Philippine pesos ($2,100) a year, according to the International Labor Organization.

(CNN)