Manny Pacquaio is ready for up to two boxing matches in 2021 and the eight-division titleholder confirmed the fight dates will be between April and September next year. The Filipino boxing legend is turning 42 but convinced age is not slowing him down at all.
The WBA welterweight champion has ruled out climbing the ring before March as the Philippine legislature will be in session on that month. Pacquiao is also a senator in his country and is serving a six-year term.
He will likely start training if a fight is scheduled in April and the boxing icon claimed he should be ready for a showdown again before the end of 2021.
"I think I can do two fights next year," The Sun reported Pacquiao as saying.
His last bout was with Keith Thurman in July 2019 and the Filipino emerged as the winner. Pacquiao was supposed to defend his WBA crown earlier this year but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the plans to face off with either Danny Garcia or Terence Crawford.
The latter is the reigning WBO welterweight champion and has already expressed willingness to slug it out with Pacquiao on a unification bout. Crawford's camp made claims that all is set for the Pacquiao vs. Crawford but the Pacman's side has so far kept mum on the matter.
What seems to be likelier for Team Pacquiao is the exhibition clash with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. According to Audi Attar, who is tasked by both fighters to arrange the mega-fight, the McGregor vs. Pacquiao is nearly a done deal and is set to play within 2021.
The Irishman will only need to deal first with his UFC rematch against Dustin Poirier on January 23 and the focus will be trained next on the battle with Pacquiao, said Attar.
If the boxing match between the two superstars will push ahead, the best possible schedule will be around September next year. According to The Philippine Star, Team Pacquiao will be considering four possible fight scenarios for the boxing legend in 2021, and two will be given the go-ahead.
The first is possibly slated in April and it will be a title fight that could pit Pacquiao against Mikey Garcia, added the report.
Pacquiao will then turn his attention to the exciting money-spinner with McGregor and as mentioned, once the fight details are confirmed the ideal schedule is September 2021.
As Attar stressed, the exhibition bout is certainly a go because both Pacquiao and McGregor want the fight to happen. And most importantly, UFC and boxing fans from around the world are demanding for the fight to take place, Attar added.
