We won't see Manny Pacquiao inside the ring until next year. After his impressive win over Keith Thurman by split decision, Pacman returned to the Philippines to fulfill his duties as a senator. This means there isn't going to be a fight until he turns 41 in December.
But Pacquiao himself said that the fight on Saturday night wouldn't be his last, and now people are rallying for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to come face Manny again. But Money isn't the only boxer dragged in this whole thing. Names like Terence Crawford and Errol Spence have been touted as potential opponents. BetOnline even released odds for nine of Pacquiao's possible opponents.
The betting favorite appears to be Spence, who will face Shawn Porter in September. He is currently at 2/3 to land a bout vs. Pacquiao. The sportsbook sees a fight with Mayweather a long shot, and Crawford has longer odds.
The list even includes MMA fighter Conor McGregor, who Mayweather knocked out two years ago in his boxing debut. The Scottish star seems to have no plans returning to the sport, but he made the list anyway.
Below are the odds according to BetOnline.
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Errol Spence Jr 2/3
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Amir Khan 5/2
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Shawn Porter 3/1
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Terence Crawford 5/1
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Mikey Garcia 12/1
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Floyd Mayweather 20/1
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Keith Thurman 20/1
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Adrien Broner 80/1
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Conor McGregor 100/1
The obvious choice is Spence, who's about a 4/1 betting favorite vs. Porter. Take note that both Pacquiao and Spence are associated with Premier Boxing Champions, which means that this fight isn't a far-fetched idea at all. Porter is also PBC, so he could be a potential match as well.
Pacquiao has his strengths, but we all know he's aging. Spence, on the other hand, can be really dangerous, so it's pretty understandable why Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, isn't exactly a fan of this matchup.
"I would have to think twice about him fighting Errol Spence," Roach told Forbes last month. "But will I say no? No, I won't."
Crawford, meanwhile, is promoted by Top Rank, so there might be some logistical issues (TR isn't friendly with PBC right now). Apart from Crawford and Spence, Pacquiao won't have a hard time beating any of the guys listed above.
Thurman did mention and possible rematch after the Saturday fight, but that won't really benefit Pacquiao, would it? He can easily make millions fighting off other boxers, so there's no reason really to fight Thurman again.
So, yes, we can't know for sure who Pacquiao will fight next. But it certainly doesn't look like it's going to be Mayweather.
