Manny Pacquiao’s next fight could be in April and his potential opponent could be Terence Crawford. The boxer/ politician is open to the idea of facing Terence Crawford but only if he is guaranteed a $20 million purse according to adviser Michael Koncz.
Crawford has suddenly become the mentioned name against the eight-time division champion with Floyd Mayweather Jr. uninterested. The undefeated American boxer has not indicated any plans of returning to the ring to break the 49-0 standoff he currently holds with boxing legend Rocky Marciano.
April fight or bust
Before the $20 million guaranteed purse came out, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had hinted of a possible fight happening in June. All that may not work since Pacquiao does have political duties to fulfill as senator.
The logical time for him to return to the ring would be April since the Philippine senate will take a break from mid-March to May 2. Arum and the Pacquiao camp are expected to meet soon to discuss the Filipino boxing icon’s next bout.
Manny Pacquiao raises stakes
Manny Pacquiao outclassed Jesse Vargas last Nov. 5, 2016 but only got $4 million. This excludes his share from pay-per-view revenue and ticket sales among others though he did impress most.
At 38, the $20 million fight guarantee could be a security blanket with the Filipino fighter expected to slow down and retire soon.
Arum claims that Pacquiao could be fighting at least two more times in 2017 with plans beyond that uncertain.
This would not be the first time that Crawford’s name was inserted in the mix. Looking back to early 2016, the 29-year-old’s name was among the mix of potential opponents for Pacquiao’s farewell match. Timothy Bradley Jr.
was eventually chosen since he stood as the foe that made more financial sense Crawford is however now pushover. He dismantled John Molina Jr. last month and is hoping to get a chance to face Pacquiao who is also his stablemate under the Top Rank.
He will leave negotiations to his managers and coaches, fully aware that this is a business and apparently all about the numbers.
