If Manny Pacquiao’s representatives are to be believed, the Filipino ring icon is headed back to the ring in June or July to face former multi-weight division champion Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia.
Garcia apparently became the best option available after Pacquiao’s proposed June 5 showdown with WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 knockouts) in Abu Dhabi failed to get off the blueprint stage. Funding from Abu Dhabi investors didn’t come into fruition, leaving the fight dead on the water.
The search for Pacquiao’s next opponent has been an arduous one.
Originally, Pacquiao seemed set to take on mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor in a boxing match. Pacquiao even inked a deal with Paradigm Sports Management, the same company that represents McGregor.
However, interest in the fight took a nosedive when McGregor was knocked out by Dustin Poirier in January at UFC 257.
In February, WBC Interim lightweight champion Ryan Garcia announced on his social media accounts he was next in line for Pacquiao.
But Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, shut down his ward’s announcement, claiming it was nothing more than a click-bait statement.
With Ryan Garcia’s name fizzling out, Pacquiao expressed interest in a showdown with Crawford. Pacquiao said he was willing to do the fight for a $40 million paycheck.
While Top Rank, Crawford’s promoter, was mulling Pacquiao’s proposal, former champ Mikey Garcia stepped into the picture by announcing he was also in talks with Pacquiao’s camp.
“We’re waiting, we’re talking,” Garcia was quoted as saying.
Pacquiao seemed zeroed in on Crawford. Expectations accelerated when it was reported Pacquiao already signed a deal to face the unbeaten American. Crawford, however, did not sign after the fight’s supposed financiers failed to deliver.
There were reports of last-ditch effort to secure a fight with IBF-WBC welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. for Pacquiao but the same proved illusory.
In the end, it appears Mikey Garcia is the last opponent standing for Pacquiao.
California native Garcia totes a record of 40-1 with 30 knockouts. Of Mexican extraction, Garcia comes from a family of boxers. Garcia’s father Eduardo boxed as an amateur before becoming a trainer.
Garcia’s older brother Robert captured the IBF junior lightweight title in 1998 before retiring in 2001. Robert is now a highly-respected trainer.
Mikey Garcia turned pro in 2006 and has since won world titles in the featherweight (126 lbs.), junior lightweight (130 lbs.), lightweight (135 lbs.) and junior welterweight (140 lbs.) divisions.
In March 2019, while sitting as world lightweight champ, Garcia instantly jumped to the welterweight (147 lbs.) class to challenge then IBF champ Spence. Heavier and slower, Garcia was dominated in 12 rounds by Spence.
Garcia, 33, has not been active in boxing, leaving many to believe he is no longer interested in the sport and is just on the lookout for big money fights.
After losing to Spence in March 2019, Garcia took a sabbatical and surfaced in the ring only in February 2020 when he defeated Jessie Vargas in a welterweight contest.
Garcia appeared uncomfortable at welterweight as he looked slow and ponderous against Spence.
However, if the Pacquiao fight pushes through, Garcia expects to be reinvigorated. Robert Garcia admitted that his younger brother will be in for a “big test” against Pacquiao.
As things stand, no formal contract has been signed. But unlike Crawford, Garcia is not expected to be difficult to deal with on the negotiating table. The fight with Pacquiao easily guarantees Garcia the biggest purse in his career.
Pacquiao, 42, has not seen action since July 2019 when he outgunned Keith Thurman to win the “super” version of the WBA welterweight crown.
Pacquiao has since been stripped of the title, with the WBA inexplicably declaring him as “champion in recess.”
As champion in recess though, Pacquiao can still be reinstated by the WBA, particularly with the fight with Garcia on the horizon. The WBA may not want to miss out on a hefty sanctioning fee.
Pacquiao had earlier said he wants a legacy fight before calling it a day.
While the Garcia fight figures to be competitive, it does not really qualify as a “legacy” fight.
Verily, if Pacquiao prevails over Garcia, there is still the possibility of Pacman seeking a bigger fight, possibly against Crawford or Spence, down the road.
