A shock wave has eclipsed the boxing world with the announcement of a meteoric clash between Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. The two credentialed champions will take the center of the ring on August 21 in a highly consequential match. The news came out of the left field and shocked the boxing world.
Though the bout has no official venue, ESPN confirmed that it has been in the works. The scrap will go a long way in bolstering the profile of the winner especially given the division’s history. What caught fans off guard was the fact that Spence was to face Yordenis Ugas sometime in the summer.
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Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr: For all the marbles
Pacquiao hasn’t fought since July 2019 when he defeated Keith Thurman. Although he’s pushed past 40, Manny Pacquiao showed plenty of promising shades in his fight against Thurman. He’s considered a lock for a spot in the ‘Hall of Fame’ and his 8 world championships speak for themselves.
Errol Spence Jr. is fresh off a win over Danny Garcia from back in December where he retained his WBC and IBF belts. While fans have had their eyes on a bout between Spence and Terence Crawford, putting the fight together has been challenging.
The legacy fight to make
Sean Gibbons, the President of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, revealed that fighting Errol Spence Jr was the only move on Pacquiao’s radar. Additionally, he dismissed any possibility that Manny Pacquiao could follow in Floyd Mayweather’s footsteps, thereby taking on YouTubers turned boxers.
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In a chat with ESPN, he said, “Many people believe Spence is the best welterweight in the world and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and Pacquiao has never shied away from fighting real fights.”
“He’s not going to make a fool of himself fighting YouTubers or social media guys like Floyd Mayweather is, and he wants to continue his legacy. He’s always fought the best, and he doesn’t want to change now.”
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Errol Spence Jr. sits at number 4 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound list. However, Manny Pacquiao appears motivated to return from the longest lay-off of his long career and swipe Spence’s P4P spot.