Manny Pacquiao doesn’t usually waste time flying long haul to watch a prospective opponent fight live.
Do you remember him appearing at ringside to size up a future opponent?
Nah.
But, there was one time — as in just one time — when he did just that.
On vacation with his wife Jinkee and her twin sister Janet in Europe in March 2019 Pacquiao spent a couple of nights in Dallas to get a closer look at one guy being groomed to face him.
During this particular time, Pacquiao was invited to watch Errol Spence in action.
It was obvious that it wasn’t just a plain invite.
Besides, why would you disrupt his vacation in Europe just to make him attend a fight?
It was crystal clear it were plans to pair them together.
But it didn’t materialize as Pacquiao wound up locking horns with Keith Thurman in July of that year and Spence finding himself rumbling with Shawn Porter in September.
Still, with the top guys like Pacquiao and Spence running out of worthy opposition, the plan to have them share the ring was revived time and again.
And just a few days ago, Pacquiao and Spence both announced in their respective social media accounts that they have agreed to fight each other.
Looking back at that event when Pacquiao sat ringside at the AT&T Stadium (Cowboys Stadium), there were signs that he and Spence would eventually end up slugging it out someday.
Firstly, Pacquiao saw something in the way Spence handled Mikey Garcia that made him believe the long-armed New York-born and Texas-bred puncher is not the monster many thought that he was.
I was riding the elevator in our hotel at the Renaissance the day after when I posed the question to Pacquiao, who was obviously not very impressed.
During that short ride, Pacquiao told me that Spence reminded him of his former foe, Lehlo Ledwaba, and that the undefeated American didn’t really look super strong.
I was so relieved that he had the same assessment as I had, that Spence was beatable.
But that was more than two years ago.
I am not so sure if the inactivity will play a big role in his attempt to turn back the clock once more and polish off Spence like old times.
Still, I am not putting the rent money on Spence, who is a big favorite.
As soon as I get to Sin City, look for me running towards the sportsbook to place my bet before I even approach the registration desk.
You don’t bet against Pacquiao in boxing. That’s close to being a mortal sin.
