PACMAN “LEGACY” FIGHT THIS YEAR VS. WHOM IS UP FOR NEGOTIATION
Senator Manny Pacquiao is sure to fight this year. Against whom and when will be announced soon.
Fuelling speculations further, the eight-division world champion took to Twitter early Wednesday, February 10 to announce his ring return.
“Training camp has begun. I’m ready to get back in the ring and to further add to my legacy in the sport of boxing. Big news coming soon,” said Pacquiao, who hasn’t fought since July 2019, when he beat Keith Thurman for the World Boxing Association “super” welterweight crown.
But chances of Pacquiao battling Terence Crawford this year get a boost following Shawn Porter’s rejection of Top Rank’s initial offer for him to challenge Crawford for the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt.
Pacquiao has declared he wants Crawford for his next fight and the unbeaten Nebraskan retorted that the eight-division world champion is his prime target with Porter coming in next.
The only obstacle in the megabuck Manny Pacquio-Terence Crawford bout is the Filipino
icon’s asking price of $40 milion. But if legacy is the key factor, chances are Pacquiao will be climbing to another higher division.
Sans a title, Porter was initially dangled $2 million to fight Crawford but the two-time 147-pound champion won’t take the bait.
Porter, a former sparring partner of Pacquiao, told boxingnews.com the offer was demeaning.
“I understand the business of boxing at this point, and to even begin negotiations at $2 million is an insult, and everybody in the sport of boxing knows the welterweight division is the hottest division in boxing,” said Porter, who holds a 33-3-1 record with 17 knockouts. The losses coming from Errol Spence Jr, Keith Thurman and Kell Brook.
According to Crawford, currently ranked the world’s best pound-for-pound with a 37-0, 28 knockout slate, he prefers Pacquiao over Porter.
“Yeah I prefer the Manny Pacquiao fight over Shawn Porter, but Shawn Porter is a great fight in its own right and I am going to be ready for whichever one comes to fruition,” Crawford told fightsports.tv.
For Crawford, Pacquiao was the logical choice.
If Arum finds a way to secure $50 million, which will likely be available only in the Middle East, Crawford stands to receive the biggest paycheck of his career.
Also, a win over Pacquiao, a universal crossover superstar, would cement Crawford’s status as an all-time great and pave the way for even more lucrative fights.
This early, the 42-year-old Pacquiao is preparing for his next fight, posting on Instagram a video of him jogging and shadowboxing.
Whether it will be against Crawford, 33, still hangs.
Errol Spence, four division world champion Mikey Garcia, and unsctahed upstart Ryan Garcia are also dying to share the ring with Pacquiao.