Legacy Fight
By Eddie Sanchez
There have been on-going questions regarding who Manny Pacquiao (62-7-2) and Terence Crawford (37-0) are going to face in their next respective fights. These men are largely recognized as two of the current top three Welterweights in the world.
As early as yesterday, it seemed like these questions had no clear answer in sight, but on this fine Tuesday, boxing fans were teased with the possibility that these two men will face each other. This would be a breath of fresh air to help sort out the top of one of boxing’s most acclaimed weight classes.
As you can see from Mike Coppinger’s preliminary reporting, this fight is FAR from confirmed and still lives in the early stages on the potential-scale. Despite Mike reporting that there’s “no agreement for the fight at this time,” Bob Arum recently claimed he’d “be announcing a major PPV fight for Terence Crawford this week,” so that checks out.
Living in the early stages or not, this rumor should put a smile on every boxing enthusiast’s face.
Fans should not be shamed for expressing their premature excitement that stems from this legacy matchup (yes, I’m projecting my own excitement), but when stars that shine this bright are rumored to face each other, all rational thoughts evaporate. The fact that Manny Pacquio, who is 42-freaking-years-old, is considering a fight with a top three P4P fighter in the world is absolutely insane.
His legacy is set in stone, and has been for a decade, but his continuous effort to face elite competition is refreshing. His warrior-mentality and respect for the sport will be one of the first things mentioned on the “tombstone” for his retired career.
So what makes this potential fight so special for Manny Pacquiao?
Well, Terence Crawford is one of the best boxers in the world, is only 33 years old (nearly a full decade younger), and carries a bogeyman image because he hasn’t been able to secure a high profile bout with the stars from PBC.
Although the last note is a mess of a political rabbit hole, from the majority of perspectives, he is a man that is often overlooked because he is too good for the relatively-minimal financial reward that would come from facing him.
Despite being a three division champion, his Welterweight resume is lacking to say the absolute least. Taking a quick scan of his professional record book, you will notice three names that stick out. Two are washed Brits that were former stars and Jeff Horn, who is best known for stealing a “victory” against Manny Pacquiao, in what will forever be recognized as a critical robbery.
Terence Crawford has been a victim in the ongoing political war that largely pits networks and promoters against each other. PBC and Fox carry a dense Welterweight roster and have been content with keeping all of their earnings in house. While ESPN (and formerly HBO) has acted in a similar manner alongside Top Rank, the difference is that their roster has been rather light since Manny Pacquiao left them at the end of 2017.
When you consider the respective histories of Pacquiao, Crawford, and Top Rank, it’s hard to not feel amazed that this fight is even remotely possible.
So what seems to be the difference now?
For starters, Manny Pacquiao is severely close to the end of his career. I believe his team understands that above all else, even further than the multiple titles in eight weight divisions, Manny Pacquiao will be respected for the risks he has continuously taken. At this point in his career, Manny can take a huge challenge and go out with his head held high, regardless of the outcome.
A second difference is where Terence Crawford stands with his relationship with Top Rank. I firmly believe that he will jump ship the second his contract ends in the fourth quarter of 2021. It would make sense for him to maximize his earning potential with PBC when that happens, but sometimes people can act surprisingly.
If Terence Crawford truly is over the possibility of an Errol Spence fight, then Bob Arum and Top Rank have an opportunity to ink a new deal with Crawford. This would largely be contingent on whether they can finally secure the big name he has been hunting for.
If the Pacquiao-Crawford fight gets signed, then Terence will have the Hall of Famer on his resume that he desires and can go back to simply fighting. At that point, it’s possible that Top Rank could secure a fight(s) with Vergil Ortiz from Golden Boy, or/and he could fight the winner between Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez, the two Junior Welterweight champions that are set to fight on May 8th.
It’s funny because I almost talked myself into the possibility of Terence Crawford staying with Top Rank, even though I have been vocally adamant about Crawford being willing to leave the second he is able to. However, if you squint hard enough, and the dominos fall far enough, the path is relatively clear for the possibility.
For the sake of boxing, I hope this fight gets signed. One of the early sticking points will be whether this event could take place in Abu Dhabi. The reason that site is necessary for this particular bout will surely be because of the purse that would come along with it.
Abu Dhabi is thirsty to host high profile events. This superfight meets the criteria and large sums of cash would find their way into each fighter’s pocket.
With the understanding that industry-folks from the Abu Dhabi side will be motivated to get this deal done, the next step will be for each fighter to literally put their money where their mouth is so they can settle the fine print and get to stepping.
Fresh rumors are always fun. It’s easy to get lost in the future and fights such as these are the perfect ones to salivate over. Two future Hall of Famers facing off against each other is something fans can always appreciate. Let’s just hope this fight gets signed sooner, rather than later so the real fun can begin.
