'Big shot' awaits Manny
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 Jul 2018
KUALA LUMPUR. Head trainer Buboy Fernandez said yesterday newly-crowned WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has two up to three more fights left before hanging up his gloves and what?s down the road could be the ?big shot,? a rematch with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Before even reaching out to Mayweather, Fernandez said Pacquiao could fight once more but declined to name a possible opponent. Pacquiao said he?s excited to stake his title, maybe in November. Someone mentioned Amir Khan as a candidate challenger and Pacquiao didn?t rule out his former sparmate.
?It?s really up to Manny,? said Fernandez. ?He?ll decide what to do next. My job is to be ready for whatever he wants me to do. I?m not expecting to be named his permanent head trainer. I?m grateful that he gave me the honor of being the head trainer for the fight against (Lucas) Matthysse.?
Senate President Tito Sotto said it was evident that in the Matthysse fight, there was order in Pacquiao?s corner. ?That wasn?t the case in the (Jeff) Horn fight,? he said. ?I thought the corner seemed a little disorganized. But Buboy did a good job of controlling the corner against Matthysse.? Fernandez said he wanted to make sure there would be only one voice in the corner to avoid overlapping and overstepping.
Pacquiao?s long-time adviser Michael Koncz, who arrived here the night before the fight, said he?d like only one more bout for the champion. ?I don?t want Manny putting his health at risk,? he said. ?You can?t fight forever. I?m thinking just one more fight. But it won?t be Mayweather. Let?s face it, Mayweather?s not stupid. He had a hard time beating Manny in their first fight and Manny wasn?t 100 percent. If ever Mayweather agrees to a rematch, it?ll be in Las Vegas. He won?t fight anywhere else. He certainly won?t fight in the Philippines. At the moment, Mayweather is retired and there are no indications that he?ll come out of another retirement.?
Koncz said Pacquiao was six times better than he was against Horn in demolishing Matthysse. ?It was like Manny dominating Erik Morales in their third fight,? said Koncz. ?The speed, power, combinations and footwork were back. I haven?t seen Manny perform that way in a long, long time.?
A possible opponent for the future is WBA lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine. But he recently underwent shoulder surgery and will be out until October. If ever Pacquiao and Lomachenko face off, it could be in the lightwelterweight division where the limit is 140 pounds.
Australian promoter and matchmaker Peter Maniatis, who watched the Pacquiao demolition of Matthysse at ringside, had an interesting suggestion. ?I think if Pacquiao fights Lomachenko, Manny wins by knockout,? he said. ?Why not hold a two-day Australia-Philippines event where on the first day, Gilas will play the Australian national basketball team and on the second day, Manny will fight Horn in a rematch.?
Photo: Manny Pacquiao (R) connects with a right at Lucas Matthysse during their WBA world welterweight title fight at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday, July 15.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
SPORTS SHORTS 285: AMIR KHAN ACCEPTS OFFER FOR AN EXHIBITION MATCH WITH MANNY PACQUIAO
By Maloney L. Samaco, Mon, 25 Nov 2024FOGOUM, TOSHIHIKO, KIM, RATTAWUT, RUF, CHUTINAN IN ACTION IN HIGHLAND’S EXCITING “SHOWDOWN” NOV 28 AT SPACEPLUS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Gil Robiego Co Elected New APPBRO President for 2025-2027
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Garma wins, climbs to 8th place
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Davao futsal scores 1st win
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 25 Nov 2024Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat is the new FIDE World Senior 65 over category Rapid Champion
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Thunderdome 48 - Jude Grant vs Fano Kori
Sun, 24 Nov 2024World Boxing backs plan to create a new Confederation in Asia
Sun, 24 Nov 2024The message is clear – Asian Boxing Confederation remains united with the IBA
Sun, 24 Nov 2024OSCAR DE LA HOYA FOUNDATION HOSTS 25TH ANNUAL TURKEY GIVEAWAY FOR EAST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Life vs. Death: The Ultimate Ringside Showdown Immortalized in Pierce Egan’s Boxiana
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, Sat, 23 Nov 2024SPORTS SHORTS 284: TEAM MARK MAGSAYO CONFIRMS RETURN TO THE RING ON DECEMBER 14
By Maloney L. Samaco, Sat, 23 Nov 2024RJP Boxing promotes in Bucana on Dec. 17
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Good Prospects at Minimumweight, Light Fly, Super Bantam and Super Feather in 2025
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Filipino International Master Chito Danilo Garma is the new World Senior Blitz champion; Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat takes the bronze medal
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 23 Nov 2024