Advertisement
Advertisement
Manny Pacquiao
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao in a training session at Wild Card Boxing in Los Angeles in 2019. Photo: AFP

Manny Pacquiao confirms comeback – who will the legendary Filipino boxer face in his potential swansong?

  • ‘Pac Man’ is officially in training camp as Covid-19 pandemic and senatorial duties open up
  • A Floyd Mayweather Jnr rematch? A Ryan Garcia – new vs old gen bout? A Terence Crawford money fight? Who tops the list?
Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao is itching to return to the ring after nearly two years since beating Keith Thurman for the WBA super welterweight title.

The 42-year-old (professional record 62-7-1, 39 KO’s) announced in February that he had started a training camp and was ready “to further add my legacy to the sport of boxing” adding “big news coming soon”, but the Covid-19 pandemic and his Philippines senatorial duties could yet delay his comeback.

Pacquiao, the only eight-division world champion and the only boxer to win world championships across four decades in the sport’s history, remarkably enters his 26th year in pro boxing and has experienced something of a second wind after his shock loss to Australian Jeff Horn in 2017.
Though he was last year considered a “champion in recess” by WBA before being stripped of the title for his refusal to fight during the pandemic, the future hall of famer is prepared to return and there are some big names in the mix for his next bout.
Filipino senator Manny Pacquiao at a government session in Manila in 2017. Photo: AFP

With whispers of Pacquiao considering presidential candidacy, this could be the last time fans see “Pac Man” work his southpaw magic.

So who will he fight in his potential swansong? This list ranges from most to least likely – based on updates and rumours from Team Pacquiao and fellow promoters. The likes of Conor McGregor, who he was reportedly “close” to signing a bout with last year, and the Paul brothers have been omitted from consideration out of respect to the boxing world.
Mikey Garcia celebrates a win over Adrien Broner in their junior welterweight bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York in 2017. Photo: AFP

Mikey Garcia (40-1, 30 KO’s)

The former four-weight world champion is the clear front-runner after Pacquiao specifically mentioned he was of interest in March. “We’re leaning towards Mikey Garcia, but we’re also talking to [Terence] Crawford. It depends on who I get to face, but what’s important is I’m ready,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN. Both parties represent Premier Boxing Champions and were previously at Top Rank at the same time.

“We never really got complacent,” Pacquiao said. “We’ve always continuously worked out. We keep playing basketball aside from boxing. Actually, right after my last fight with Thurman, I didn’t work [on] boxing, but I kept playing basketball.”

The 33-year-old Garcia, who last time out beat Jessie Vargas via unanimous decision for the vacant WBC diamond welterweight title just over a year ago, confirmed the talks. “It’s been in the works for a few years. In the last few weeks, we’ve been getting very close to finalising it. I’m pretty excited. Hopefully we can get the exact date ... we’re trying to get everything done for May,” Garcia said on his social media. The American lost for the first time in his pro career in a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Errol Spence Jnr in 2019.

Terence Crawford gets his arm raised after beating Lithuania's Egidijus Kavaliauskas in a ninth-round TKO in a WBO welterweight fight in New York. Photo: AP

Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 KO’s)

“Bud” would be a big name and test for Pacquiao and appears to be the backup should Garcia negotiations fall through. The 33-year-old American – considered to be up there with Canelo Alvarez for pound-for-pound active No 1 – defended his WBO world welterweight champion after beating Kell Brook via fourth-round TKO in November last year, which he has held since 2018.

The former unified, lineal welterweight champion would only satisfy Pacquiao if the money is right, however. The Senator reportedly told The Daily Tribune that he wanted US$40 million (HK$311 million) on the table – and a 3:1 split in his favour. In a Covid-19-restricted world, this seems increasingly unlikely.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum had entertained the idea earlier in the year, telling Barbershop Conversations Pacquiao’s name came up while negotiating a separate fight for Crawford. “Then out of nowhere the idea of a tremendous site fee and the possibility of doing Pacquiao vs Crawford came up. Obviously it’s more money for Terence and [he] would prefer a Pacqiuao fight against anybody else.” Arum later claimed Pacquiao turned the fight down, telling Business Insider it was a “non-starter. I even offered Manny the fight with Crawford and [his] people said ‘no’.”

Ryan Garcia gets Luke Campbell with an overhand right in a WBC interim lightweight title fight at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas in January. Photo: AFP

Ryan Garcia (21-0, 18 KO’s)

The 22-year-old American phenom proved he was not just a flashy social media bag-hitter after an impressive seventh-round TKO of Briton Luke Campbell in January. Garcia is now the WBC interim world lightweight belt-holder and called his hero Pacquiao out after the fight. Disappointingly, everything stalled before any talks took place after Golden Boy Promotions founder, Oscar de la Hoya, and president Eric Gomez confirmed “the fight isn’t going to happen”.

“Oscar likes to contradict himself. It’s all good, it’s all love, man. It’s not my fault ever. I always say yes to everything. If a fight falls through it’s because of the opposite side. That’s no disrespect to Manny. Manny is a great fighter – sorry, he’s a legendary fighter – and is somebody I respect a lot in and out the ring. It was just the little things on his end that didn’t let the fight happen,” Garcia told Fight Hub TV before calling de la Hoya “very unprofessional” for shutting down his own fighter’s call-out.

With Pacquiao mulling a different Garcia, and younger fans dreaming of a new-gen lightweight bout between “King Ry” and “Tank” Gervonta Davis, it would seem this bout’s chances is low. But, as Garcia described, Pacquiao “is gonna do whatever he wants”. He may change his mind.

 

Josh Taylor (17-0, 13 KO’s)

Nicknamed “The Tartan Tornado”, the Scottish star is already scheduled for a bout with Jose Carlos Ramirez for the undisputed light welterweight title in May. The 30-year-old is unbeaten and holds the WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine belts since 2019. He last defended them against Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong in September last year, winning by first-round TKO.

While he is tied up for whole quarter, Taylor made his respect for Pacquiao known last month. He said a fight would be his ultimate dream. “To share the ring with my hero Pacquiao? That would be brilliant. How many people can say they shared a ring with their hero and beat them? Not many,” he told Sky Sports.

“[I admire] everything about him. He’s funny, he sings, he puts on a Scottish accent, his fighting style, he’s a people’s champion, a really nice person, he gives money to feed people. He’s an absolute gentleman and his fighting style is ferocious. A southpaw with fast hands who can fight like hell.” The storyline is already there – perhaps it will steer a bout between the ferocious southpaws in future.

Floyd Mayweather Jnr exchanges punches with Manny Pacquiao in their welterweight unification fight in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2015. Photo: AFP

Floyd Mayweather Jnr (50-0, 27 KO’s)

Now six years on from their world-stopping super-bout, “Money” has since dipped in and out of retirement with lucrative exhibition bouts. Pacquiao, who lost the 2015 fight via unanimous decision, had previously told World Boxing News he was interested in a Mayweather Jnr rematch for his welterweight title.
The potential pound-for-pound greatest of all time said he was likewise open to the fight in 2019, but has yet to show full commitment to a pro boxing return given his McGregor and Tenshin Nasukawa escapades. He had also announced he would fight YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition match last month, but has since been postponed indefinitely due to the lack of interest generated.
The pair have nothing to prove in terms of boxing skill set and accolades, and though a fight seems fairly unlikely, Pacquiao may want to test himself having revealed he suffered an injury leading up to their fight. With boxing fans already witnessing the rolling back of years with Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jnr last year, who knows what’s in store for the unparalleled generation-defining boxers.
2