Manny Pacquiao Returning to the Ring? Top 3 Fighters for Filipino Boxing Champ When He Comes Out of Retirement
According to Bob Arum, Filipino boxing champ and recently elected senator Manny Pacquiao is ready to come out of retirement and fight on November 5. His opponent is yet to be determined.
Manny Pacquiao was elected into the Philippine Senate last May 19. His last fight was a third bout with Timothy Bradley, which he won convincingly via unanimous decision.
Bob Arum, Top Rank promoter, scheduled an October 15 fight for Pacquiao, but this was rejected by the Philippine Senate president when Pacquiao asked permission. Arum said, "The 15th was turned down because the Senate needs to do the budget." The new schedule was moved to October 29 or November 5.
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Pacquiao Addresses Comeback Rumors
In a Facebook post, Manny Pacquiao addressed rumors that he would soon file a leave of absence to prepare for an upcoming fight. Pacquiao clarified that his priority is "legislative works." He said that when he ran for the Senate, he promised he won't be absent in the sessions.
He added that if he decides to fight again, he will schedule the fight during a Senate recess so that "it will not interfere with [his] senate duties."
Top 3 Fighters for Manny Pacquiao When He Un-retires
If indeed Pacquiao comes out of retirement, these are the top three fighters he might face.
1. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
There was so much hype surrounding Mayweather vs Pacquiao 1 that it became the most-anticipated sports event for a time and became the richest boxing fight in history.
However, many boxing pundits and fans called the event a disappointment. Some argued that Mayweather made the fight less interesting because of his unwillingness to engage; others believed Pacquiao didn't do enough to test Mayweather.
While both men claimed they have retired from boxing, discussions about their comeback have been steadily increasing. Arum said on April that there is "a better than 50-50 chance" of seeing a rematch after Pacquiao dominated Bradley on their third appearance.
At the very least, this fight will make sense from a financial standpoint. From Mayweather's standpoint though, it really is up to the fans. According to Stephen Espinoza, Showtime boss, "If there is a demand for this fight I believe Floyd will give it strong consideration."
2. Gennady Golovkin
Pacquiao and Golovkin can agree to fight on a catch-weight, but if this fight pushes through, Pacquiao will surely face the biggest and most dangerous boxer he has ever faced. Golovkin has an astounding record of 35 wins, 0 losses and 0 draws, with 32 of those wins coming by way of knockout (a stunning 91 percent K.O. rate).
Golovkin, 5'10", fights in the middleweight, while Pacquiao fights as a welterweight. That's a 20 lb difference between both fighters. Also, Pacquiao said he can even make light welterweight or even lightweight. The difference is just huge when you consider Golovkin's height, weight, knockout power and world-class boxing technique.
So why are we even talking about this fight in the first place? Well, Pacquiao has been known to defy the odds. He's not your average champion—a generational talent who is the only eight-division champion in the history of boxing. Pacquiao has an edge in hand and foot speed, ring savvy and experience.
Fans will try to get this fight pushed through, but it's probably best for Pacquiao not to face him. Gennady even thinks Pacquiao is too small, and in his own right, Golovkin is a generational talent as well. Even Mayweather doesn't want a piece of Golovkin.
3. Amir Khan
Before Pacquiao faced Bradley for the third time, Amir Khan said his and Pacquiao's team met, but their fight didn't push through. He regretted not being able to fight with the Pacman.
Khan and Pacquiao have trained together under coach Freddie Roach and are good friends. Khan said, "It would have been a great fight and backstory but we both have other big fights coming up so we are focused on them."
If Pacquiao comes out of retirement, Khan may have a second shot at this match.
Khan and Pacquiao are both quick-fisted, and both have a huge following. The fight will surely be a pay-per-view hit, so it makes sense on a revenue basis. Also, both fighters know each other well after all the sparring sessions they've had training at Wild Card Gym, leading up to a competitve fight.
Pacquiao will probably have the edge; Khan has a weak chin, and Manny has shown that he still has knockout power to go with hand speed after knocking down Bradley twice.
