FIGHTING Conor McGregor is still a dream boxing bout for Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao next year after the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic since he has nothing to prove anymore.
For Jayke Joson, Pacquiao’s special assistant, the People’s Champion and one of boxing’s living legends has been a world champion in eight different weight classes and was able to beat younger fighters like Adrien Broner and former world champion Keith Thurman despite being in his early 40s.
So Pacquiao needs something bigger than boxing, Joson said.
“The Senator loves his fellow Filipinos and he likes to entertain them by fighting not only the best but what the people want — and that’s UFC star Conor McGregor. They deserve a bigger fight like this or should I say this dream fight,” said Joson.
Pacquiao (62-7-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts) can defeat unified International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) Errol Spence Jr. and even reigning World Boxing Organization Terence Crawford all night.
A story by Yahoo Sports journalist Kevin Iole stated last December 6 that Pacquiao is interested in fighting Spence after his remarkable unanimous decision win over Danny Garcia, according to MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons.
But Joson said Pacquiao — the defending World Boxing Association welterweight world titleholder — does not need to fight the undefeated Spence to cement his legacy as one of the best ever fighters in world boxing history.
“Pacquiao versus McGregor is a dream fight that everybody wants to see. Other fights like Spence or Crawford are no longer realistic. The senator has been a world champion of those belts and nothing to prove anymore in his career, so we need something big like McGregor,” added Joson.
Pacquiao’s business manager Arnold Vegafria said the senator’s main priority right now is to help his fellow Filipino in these desperate times. And it is obvious that Pacquiao, he said, can generate more money to help the people by fighting McGregor than anyone else like Spence or Crawford.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Senator MP’s fight with McGregor will generate more funds to help his fellow Filipinos. It will give him the biggest payday in his last three previous bouts. A fight against the other boxers will not give him that kind of amount,” Vegafria said.
