Manny Pacquiao again won due affirmation by landing on the No. 3 spot of Ring Magazine's top welterweight fighters at the start of 2020. The latest recognition further cemented his status as a boxing legend, and for him, the one career achievement that needs unlocking is to conquer the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Filipino icon had a shot in 2015 but fell short of expectations. For a while following the loss, Pacquiao seemed headed to downhill but managed to recover and started picking up wins again. The crowning glory was his dominance of Keith Thurman in 2018. Pacquiao successfully silenced the loudmouth American, and the boxing world agreed - he is back to the big game.
As things stand now, it is hard to argue that the Pacman "remains a key player in the welterweight division," The Irish Sun reported, adding that with the impressive disposal of Thurman and the other triumphs preceding that fight, Pacquiao has bountiful of options begging to get picked by him.
He can face next any of the following big names - Errol Spence, Danny Garcia, Thurman (for a rematch), Shawn Porter, and Mikey Garcia - and one thing is sure, Pacquiao will readily command attention, both of the adoring fans and the people able to make these mega-fights happen.
That is for a simple reason - Pacquiao is "a huge attraction in the sport," per the same report. And give him a few more years, Pacquiao will only collect more honors to bolster his legacy.
It is the showdown No. 2 with Mayweather, however, that will inject more excitement to the Pacman's unending quest for glory. And there are reasons to believe the Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch will finally be a go this year.
The Filipino has already stated he is willing to fight as soon as the American affixes his signature on a contract. The ball has been lobbed on Mayweather a long time ago, and his nod will trigger preparations for the huge bout in full swing.
CBS Sports said the Money knows a face-off with Pacquiao is a win for him. The MayPac 2, even happening theoretically, is confirmed a windfall in waiting for both fighters, especially in the case of Mayweather.
"There's too much money at stake to ever say with confidence that this fight couldn't happen or won't. The demand from casual and mainstream fans would instantly make it the biggest fight of 2020," the report explained why Mayweather would again agree on a fight with Pacquiao.
It has been proven that Mayweather can easily smell the prospect of making big money and making it easy, and he will make the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather happen the soonest because as CBS noted on its report, the American "is too smart of a businessman," to ignore the promise of collecting hundreds of millions for a few hours of no-sweat work.
