Manny Pacquiao is determined to prove that he still has a lot of gas left in his tank. The former world champion will make his return to the ring on April 14. Two months before his scheduled comeback, the Filipino Boxing icon has yet to secure an opponent, leading to speculation that there is some animosity between him and his promoter.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is floating the idea of pitting Pacquiao against Mike Alvarado. However, Pacquiao and his camp have been signing a different tune over the past several weeks.
Arum wants return on investment from Alvarado
According to Forbes, there is a strong reason behind Arum’s push for a Pacquiao-Alvarado fight. Pacquiao’s camp reportedly believes the veteran promoter just wants to cash in on Alvarado because Top Rank has invested a lot in him several years ago.
Alvarado was once named among the top lightweights in the world. However, a string of defeats to Ruslan Provodnikov, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Brandon Rios proved otherwise. He managed to win in his last four fights against unheralded opponents, and Arum is likely taking advantage of it to argue that Alvarado deserves a big fight.
Lance Pumigre of Los Angeles Times also gave an interesting take on Arum’s plan to arrange a showdown between Pacquiao and Alvarado.
Pumigre said Arum knows that Alvarado is already washed up, and matching him up with Pacquiao will give the latter the chance to score his first knockout since 2009, which will improve his stock again.
Pacquiao’s camp wants Lucas Matthysse
While Arum is actively pushing for a Pacquiao-Alvarado fight, the former eight-division world champion has another fighter in mind.
The 39-year-old Filipino superstar told Manila Bulletin that he wants to face Lucas Matthysse, saying that it is also the showdown fans will love.
If Matthysse will not be available by April 14, Pacquiao said that he is open to moving the fight in May. The Argentine champion might need some time to rest after sustaining a cut during his eighth-round knockout win over Tewa Kiram on January 27, where he won the vacant World Boxing Association world welterweight title.
Trainer Freddie Roach also expressed willingness to pit Pacquiao against Matthysse. The veteran boxing coach said it will be an action-packed showdown despite the fact that both fighters are probably past their respective primes.
“I think it's a great fight,” Roach told BoxingScene. “Two guys who are a little bit older, and not as big of punchers as they once were but it's a very good action-packed fight.”
