Errol Spence Jr., the undefeated IBF welterweight champion, declared that he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao next. Spence Jr. is set to defend his world title against fellow unbeaten boxer Mikey Garcia this March. With Manny Pacquiao reportedly done chasing Floyd Mayweather Jr., a fight with Spence Jr. is may soon be coming.
Pacquiao is reportedly shopping for his next opponent and it seems that everyone in the welterweight division is angling to fight the People's Champ. And Spence Jr. isn't any different. The undefeated American boxer even went one step further, declaring that he would be willing to fight the Filipino fighting senator in the Philippines.
"I'll fight Manny Pacquiao anywhere, definitely in the Philippines or anywhere else," Spence Jr. said in an interview with Fight Hub TV. But Spence has to get past Mikey Garcia first on March 16 in Arlington, Texas. While Spence a bit preoccupied about his upcoming fight, he nonetheless seemed confident that he can defeat Garcia. "Right now, I'm worried about Mikey Garcia, after that, you can ask me any questions about Pacquiao," Spence Jr. said in the same interview.
Spence's name, along with Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Mikey Garcia have been mentioned by the famed Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, as possible future opponents for Pacquiao. Spence Jr. has a 24-0 win-loss record with 21 wins coming via stoppage.
The American boxer, nicknamed "The Truth," is an intriguing prospect for Manny Pacquiao. Both Pacquiao and Spence Jr. are southpaws with a lot of power. The Ring Magazine ranks Spence Jr. as the 7th best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound.
With Floyd Mayweather Jr. already booked in Japan for a July exhibition match and Terrence Crawford seemingly not an option, Spence Jr., along with Thurman and Porter, are among the possible boxers who could face Manny Pacquiao. And now that Manny Pacquiao is nearing the end of his brilliant career, the window for these young guns to fight the future Hall of Famer is closing too.
Manny Pacquiao, for better or worse, wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. again. For his part, Mayweather doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with Pacquiao. That being said, the timing could be right for Errol Spence Jr. to get into the ring with Pacquiao. And if the fight is held in the Philippines, then Pacman can give the beleaguered nation something to cheer about.
