Manny Pacquiao’s next fight might not involve the winner of the Errol Spence vs. Shawn Porter welterweight showdown when everything is said and done, as boxing writer Maloney Samaco of PhilBoxing.com reported that the camp of the Filipino fighting champ is already considering either Danny Garcia or Mikey Garcia as a potential foe in 2020.
Following Pacquiao’s split-decision win over Keith Thurman last July 20, many boxing and pundits are expecting a collision course between Pacman and the victor of the Spence-Porter super fight on September 28 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The reigning WBA (super) welterweight champion even confirmed his attendance in the WBC/IBF unification fight, thus adding more fuel to the rumored three-belt showdown next year.
However, Samaco’s exclusive interview with two known personalities in Pacquiao’s inner circle over the weekend revealed that neither Spence nor Porter piques their interest. Moreover, the names of Danny and Mikey Garcia have surprisingly emerged as two frontrunners for Pacman’s next foe.
“Pacquiao's handlers want Danny Garcia or Mickey Garcia as probable next opponents. Danny Garcia has announced he likes to challenge the winner of the Pacquiao vs. Thurman championship,” Samaco wrote in his article on PhilBoxing.com.
Meet the Garcias
Pacquiao camp’s interest in fighting either Danny or Mikey Garcia is fascinating in many ways.
While the stocks of neither Garcias are not high right now because of their recent setbacks, a showdown with a legendary fighter like Pacquiao would still generate enormous interest from the fans and media.
Danny Garcia, 31, is a former lineal light-welterweight and WBC welterweight champion, having amassed a respectable record of 35-2 with 21 KOs.
Garcia’s two losses came against Thurman (split decision) and Broner (close unanimous decision), but the Philadelphia-native reentered the welterweight title scene with a seventh-round TKO win over Adrian Granados in April.
Mikey Garcia, 31, held titles in featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight, jr. welterweight class.
Last March, he skipped two weight divisions to vie for Spence’s IBF strap at 147-pound. As expected, the fight turned into a one-sided affair, as Spence boxed his way to a unanimous decision win over a much smaller Garcia.
High-Risk, Low-Reward
At this point in his career, it’s safe to say the 40-year-old Pacquiao has few fights left before he hangs his glove for good. Obviously, a second mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. tops his wish-list, but the star-studded welterweight division presents him with plenty of option to make more money, and at the same time, enhance his boxing legacy even further.
Apparently, Spence and Porter aren’t the types of fighters Pacquiao’s handlers would prefer as a potential foil to their aging prizefighter.
Buboy Fernandez, the long-time trainer and close friend of Pacquiao, admitted that taking on young, hungry boxers like Spence and Porter would be a high-risk, low-reward gamble. He added that protecting Pacman comes as a priority this late in his career.
"If we beat Spence, what will we gain? And what will happen if he ends up beating Manny? He is close to 41. What we need to do is protect him and his career,” Fernandez told Samaco.
Finally, Pacquiao’s and MP Promotions manager Sean Gibbons probably dealt the fatal blow to any aspirations of a Pacquiao-Spence or Pacquiao-Porter matchups by simply saying they are not interested in taking those fights.
"We are not planning to fight Shawn Porter or Errol Spence,” Gibbons said in the PhilBoxing interview.
Spence, the IBF welterweight champ, is sporting an immaculate 25-0 record with 21 KOs around his belt. His marquee wins came at the expense of former world champions Kell Brook, Lamont Peterson, and Mikey Garcia. He is rated highly by boxing pundits because of his physical tools, remarkable fighting style, and devastating punching power.
As for Porter, he currently holds the WBC welterweight crown, having beaten the likes of Adrein Broner, Danny Garcia, Devon Alexander, Paulie Malignaggi, and Andre Berto. Before he became a two-time champion, Porter had been Pacquiao’s sparring partner for many years, especially during the height of Pacman’s prime. Coming off a split-decision win over highly-touted contender Yordenis Ugás, Porter decided to roll the dice by taking a dangerous fight against Spence in September.
