Philippines boxing icon Manny Pacquiao posted a photo of himself in training on social media and had the world guessing who his next opponent could be. Less than two months after defeating previously unbeaten Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the 40-year-old fighting senator from Sarangani province was working up a sweat again as he trained on a double end bag. The photo had more than 100,000 likes within 20 hours of being posted on Instagram. Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) was smiling in the photo but didn?t offer any words with the image, leaving millions of his fans guessing why the WBA super welterweight champion would hit the gym in full boxing gear just seven and a half weeks after beating Thurman by split decision.
If Pacquiao does fight again early next year, it won?t be against Floyd Mayweather Jnr, who has reportedly negotiated a deal with the Mission Hills Group in Haikou, Hainan, to fight an exhibition on the mainland next year. Details of the bout will be announced on September 18 for Mayweather?s ?first fight in China?.
With a Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch not on the cards soon ? they fought in 2015 with Mayweather winning by unanimous decision ? it leads to speculation the Filipino legend is in negotiations with several top fighters in the welterweight division.
One of them could be former four-division world champion Mikey Garcia (39-1-0, 30 KOs) of Moreno Valley, California.
The Garcia camp is hoping the fight could happen next year and Garcia?s nephew, Peter Garcia, of Team Garcia Promotions, revealed negotiations have already started. Peter Garcia said a Pacquiao-Mikey Garcia fight would be ?a lot more even? than Mikey Garcia?s previous bout against American IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jnr in March, which the highly rated Spence won by unanimous decision.
Peter Garcia told boxing YouTube channel Fighthype their camp could fight Pacquiao, although he stressed negotiations were in the early stages.
?Pacquiao is still one of the top fighters in the world, but it?s a fight that is more even for Mikey, we feel,? said Peter Garcia. ?The Errol Spence fight, he was big, long, and athletic. Pacquiao is already 40, and he?s getting up there in age. In his last fight, he still looked like he was in his prime [against Thurman]. So it?s someone that is really dangerous, but it?s a fight that we?re excited about. We?re hoping it gets done.
?Whenever he [Mikey Garcia] doesn?t have a fight, he spars two times a week ? but since two weeks ago, he?s been coming five times a week. My grandpa said, ?He?s going to get a date soon?. He doesn?t come on Tuesdays when he doesn?t have a fight coming up. It?s still in negotiations.
?It?s a fight that me, my dad and my grandpa like at welterweight,? said Peter Garcia about Pacquiao being a good fight for Mikey Garcia.
?He [Mikey Garcia] decided last year after he fought Robert Easter, when he started calling out Errol Spence, all of us thought, ?yeah, it?s a fight [against Pacquiao] he could take, if we could get ready for, it was a fight that he could possibly win?. There was a fight that was not easier. ?I?m not saying Pacquiao is an easier fight, but it?s more easier in terms of size. He?s a smaller guy. He?s moved up a lot of weight. Errol?s a guy that has to cut weight. He?s a big guy at welterweight. The style is a lot more difficult.?
