With the world paralyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, boxing action could take some time to resume. One pug most are eager to see get back in the ring is Manny Pacquiao. Already caught in a battle with time, the Filipino boxing icon is believed to be nearing the end of his boxing career. Before the coronavirus, most speculated the Pac-Man fighting only once or two times more. But that could be altered moving forward.
Among the boxers who would love to get a chance at facing Pacquiao is Mikey Garcia. The 32-year-old last fought on Feb. 20 and won a unanimous decision win over Jesse Vargas. It was a good bounce-back win for the American who had previously dropped a unanimous decision to Errol Spence Jr. Ironically, Spence is another name being linked to the Pac-Man.
For his part, Garcia believes he can hand Pacquiao better than Spence. Garcia admitted that Spence's height was a problem, not to mention being a southpaw as well. Against Pacquiao, he feels he has a better chance despite the Filipino boxing icon being a southpaw himself. Garcia and Pacquiao are about the same height and the former believes this will be a better clash compared to the forgettable one he had with Spence.
“Manny’s still a southpaw, but he’s a lot smaller in size,” Garcia said during an Instagram Live session with promoter Eddie Hearn. “So, he’s shorter in height, doesn’t have the reach like some of these other welterweights. So, I think that fits much better to get an entertaining fight with me, and I think it just fits right.”
It remains to be seen if Garcia will get the chance to face the Pac-Man once the coronavirus pandemic is contained. The answer to that is up in the air with global numbers of victims and infected people continuing to swell.
For now, Pacquiao is busy trying to aid people over in the Philippines who are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. As most know, the Pac-Man is also a politician and is beloved in the country for his generosity. It is presumed that the 41-year-old is finding ways to keep himself in shape. But one thing he cannot hold off is Father Time. Though he has shown the same power and speed in his last fights, experts feel he has hardly anything to prove. Garcia and other opponents want to face him, mainly for credibility and a lofty payday. All those ambitions depend if Pacquiao is still interested in fighting again although it will be a pretty long wait.
