Errol Spence’s entire arsenal will be in full force against Manny Pacquiao on 21 August in Las Vegas.
Derrick James, the man in charge of Spence’s corner, told the Dallas Morning News that his fighter should not make the mistake of underestimating what a 42-year-old Pacquiao can do.
“You can’t take him (Pacquiao) soft. You got to focus,” James said after learning of the confirmation of the welterweight clash that will have Spence’s World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation crowns at stake.
“A 50-year-old beating a twenty-something,” James said, referring to the vast age difference of Pacquiao and his growing list of victims.
In his last two fights, Pacquiao took on relatively young and fresh foes and beat them soundly.
Adrien Broner was 29 when he wobbled to a unanimous decision defeat to the Filipino eight-division champion in January 2019 and Keith Thurman was 30 when he got himself up from a first-round knockdown and dropped a close verdict six months later.
Still, oddsmakers are convinced Spence has the huge edge in the battle of southpaws, putting the 31-year-old New York-born and Texas-bred knockout king at -450 ($450 bet on Spence wins $100) and Pacquiao at +350 ($100 bet on Pacquiao wins $350).
Meanwhile, MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons, is currently working on the reinstallation of Pacquiao as the World Boxing Association (Super) champion after the Venezuela-based governing body’s decision to strip him off the crown last January for inactivity.
“School is back in session,” Gibbons declared.
The WBA had cited that Pacquiao’s inactivity (despite the pandemic) was the reason behind the move but Gibbons insists “recess is over.”
“I am working on it,” he added.
If the WBA relents, there will be three title belts on the line on fight night and the winner will go down the ring looking like no other.
