Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KO?s) is 38-years old and is on his 22nd year as a professional boxer. That?s over two decades of service to a sport which has earned him millions of dollars in total income, worldwide fame and a guaranteed spot among the list of the sport?s immortalized legends.
He began his career as a scrawny light flyweight in 1995. It is now 2017, and he?s still at it, ready to book another fight this April?his 68th professional bout.
The fighter Pacquiao is targeting undefeated 28-year-old welterweight Jeff ?The Hornet? Horn (16-0-1, 11 KO?s) of Brisbane, Australia.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Mail, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said Pacquiao is excited to get back in the ring.
?Manny has seen some of Jeff Horn?s previous fights, we?ve shown him tapes,?? said Arum. ?Manny thinks Jeff is a very live fighter ? in the sense he?s a come-ahead guy and he says it will be a tremendous fight and a good challenge for him. Manny is on board for this fight.??
The bout is rumored to be close to signing, with Arum scheduled to finalize the deal this week.
If the bout pushes through, it will be Pacquiao?s first time to fight in Australia. The proposed date is April 23 at the Suncorp Stadium in Queensland.
Pacquiao will be defending his WBO welterweight strap.
?I?ve cleared it with Manny and I?ve cleared it with his people. He?s all set and ready to go if they can raise the money in Australia,?? he said. ?Manny would love the opportunity to fight in Australia. A lot of people from the Philippines would come over to watch and a lot of Filipinos in Australia would be at the stadium.?
Pacquiao came back from a brief retirement last year to earn two solid wins over Timothy Bradley and Jessie Vargas, proving that he still had much to offer the sport despite being on the tail end of a long and prosperous career.
?We are very excited about this fight,?? said Arum. ?Jeff Horn is the kind of young man who really enhances any sport. He?s well spoken, looks good, comes from a good family and being a former schoolteacher is a well-educated young man. He?s a real asset to the sport and a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn is something that is great for boxing.?
Horn last fought in a tough bout against Africa?s Ali Funeka in Auckland, New Zealand. Horn overcame a thunderous yet accidental clash of heads to win by sixth-round technical knockout over the world-ranked Funeka.
Although Horn is undefeated, young and with confidence on his side, Arum isn?t completely convinced he could hang with Pacquiao, who is known as one of the sport?s all-time greats.
?Jeff is a very good fighter ? I don?t know if he beats Manny Pacquiao but he?ll give him a tremendous fight,? Arum added.
Horn obviously believes he can beat Pacquiao, and he has stated as such in the media.
?Manny is still a great fighter ? one of the greatest boxers ever,? said Horn. ?But I feel I have the skills to beat him. He?s 38 and I?m 28. He?s slipped a little from his very best and I think now is a great time to challenge him. I know with my home crowd behind me I can realise my dream.?
With Pacquiao-Horn, fans do get an ageing veteran against a young stud, but the Pac-Man has proven that age is nothing but a number and that it will take a lot more for opponents, no matter how much of a youth advantage they have, to beat him. ?By Carlos Miguel Cinco
