EIGHT division world champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao revealed to BusinessMirror on Thursday an ongoing negotiation between his camp and that of former world champion Mikey Garcia on their potential fight tentatively set in May in Dubai.
“We are still finalizing it and we have ongoing negotiations with Mikey Garcia, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.,” Pacquiao said in an interview during the senator’s relief operations at the Northstar Shipping and Marine Services near the Baseco compound in Tondo.
Although Pacquiao divulged no other details, BusinessMirror learned that the 33-year-old American Garcia (40-1 win-loss record with 30 knockouts) would most likely be the Filipino icon’s next opponent with Paradigm Sports Management under President and CEO Audie Attar drawing the contracts.
Garcia lost to undefeated Errol Spence Jr. via unanimous decision last March 16, 2019, to relinquish his International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight belt and the vacant World Boxing Council diamond welterweight belt at the Arlington Stadium in Texas.
But Garcia returned to the ring last February 29, 2020, and scored a unanimous decision victory over former Pacquiao foe, Jessie Vargas, at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, California.
Pacquiao said that his supposed crossover fight with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Conor McGregor in April would have to wait for now after the Irishman was badly beaten by Dustin Poirier last January 24 via a second-round technical knockout in Abu Dhabi.
“He [McGregor] will be fighting a tuneup or he will be having a rematch [with Poirier] first,” added the 42-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2 win-loss-draw with 39 knockouts) whose last fight was in July 20, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada, winning by split decision over Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao announced earlier that he already returned to training camp, but close aide David Sisson said that Pacquiao has just started jogging around Forbes Park in Makati City.
Pacquiao also expressed no interest in fighting unbeaten 22-year-old American Ryan Garcia (21-0 record with 18 knockouts).
“He is too young, he looks like my son,” said Pacquiao as he rode on his Black Escalade Cadillac SUV on the way to host Willie Revillame’s Wil Tower in Quezon City.
Pacquiao was earlier stripped of his welterweight title by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and was instead declared as “Champion in Recess.” The WBA handed the crown to Cuban Yordenis Ugas.
Read full article on BusinessMirror
