There are very few boxing fans who would be against Manny Pacquiao returning to the ring. Whether you love him and support his every fistic move or you take a role as a dedicated critic, Pacquiao means a lot to a lot of people and is still a key figure in the overall health of the sport.
But how do you bring a retired legend back to the ring, especially when he?s now happily employed as a Senator with lots of important work on the table?
Well, there?s a legal way to do it, I suppose. Reportedly, Pacquiao is under contract to Top Rank Promotions until 2017. But I seriously doubt Bob Arum would risk the public relations backlash (and loss of money) involved in taking Manny to court to force a return.
Also doubtful is the ability of Arum to coax Manny back to the ring with fights against Top Rank stablemates. A bout with Jessie Vargas would mean little, a bout with Mike Alvarado would mean even less. A showdown with rising star Terence Crawford would provide little reward for a ton of risk. And Vasyl Lomachenko is just not at the point, yet, where he can legitimately challenge anyone above 135 lbs.
One sure-fire way to have Manny pack his legal briefs and bring out the gloves is to offer him another crack at arch-rival Floyd Mayweather, who beat him in May of 2015 in the richest prizefight of all time. But, realistically, it?s a major longshot that Mayweather would give Pacquiao a shot at redemption.
So, then, how can we bring Manny Pacquiao back? How can he be coaxed back into the ring?
The answer involves giving Manny a big task that stimulates his competitiveness. Give him something historic or something previously thought impossible. A great way to entice a comeback would be to arrange bouts against the previously off-limits fighters from Al Haymon?s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). Manny would surely be itching to return if battles with the likes of Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia were made available. The truce between Arum and Haymon makes such bouts possible now and, as a matter of fact, there have been rumors of a possible fight with PBC star Adrien Broner.
New blood, fresh challenges, and the chance to prove that he can conquer foes outside of the Top Rank stable?that?s how you interest Manny in a return to the ring.
