Is Mikey Garcia the frontrunner as Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent?
There has been plenty of hearsay about who will be the next in line to fight Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs). Any significant fighter at both 140 and 147 has talked of fighting the Filipino fighting legend.
Mikey Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) has been one to publicly opine about a matchup with him. In September of 2020, the four-division world champion claimed that Pacquiao would be his next opponent.
It looks now as if his claims carry merit. During an interview with Sports & Investigative reporter Jo Anklin, he divulged a fight with Pacquiao is being negotiated for May.
“We’re finalizing all of the details. We hope to get the exact date and location in the next few days. We’re trying to get everything done for May.
It’s been in the works for a long time, particularly more in detail in the last year. Now in the last few weeks, we’ve been getting very close to working on this and finalizing it.
I’m pretty excited. We’ll have all the details set in the next few days. It’s a matter of time. So far, it seems like all the parties are on board. I’m excited for it.”
On paper, this is an intriguing fight. It would be a fascinating clash of styles. You have the patience and precision of Garcia trying to combat the activity, energy, power, and speed of the still energetic 42-year-old Pacquiao.
WHO WOULD THIS HURT MOST?
A lot of fighters would feel bummed missing out on the Pacquiao sweepstakes. He is one of the most visible sports figures in the world fighting who is still one of the sport’s cash-cows. To fight him means you earn a sizeable payday.
If you are Terence Crawford, you must be exasperated. The WBO World Welterweight champion is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. But at 147 pounds, he is in dire need of a big fight. In truth, the resume at 147 is drier than a dehydrated fighter trying to make weight. The calls for Crawford to engage in a high-profile fight are growing louder and louder.
Following his win over Kell Brook in November 2020, promoter Bob Arum stated he was working to make a fight between Crawford and Pacquiao. It now looks like that will not be the case.
So you have, in essence, Garcia leaping over Crawford to land a fight with Pacquiao. Garcia is a man without a world title. Crawford is not only a world champion but one of the elite fighters in the game. Yet, he is unable to land a high-profile, big-money fight. Let that sink in!
Garcia says he is excited at the prospect of finally facing the fighter known worldwide as “Pac Man”. Rumors of a showdown between the two go back to 2017 when both were part of the Top Rank promotional stable.
It is a fight that would garner the interest of boxing fans. The Middle East would be the favorite location to land this bout. Stay tuned to 3KingsBoxing for further details.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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