SPENCE WANTS TO FIGHT PACQUIAO BUT MANNY'S CAMP HAS SECOND THOUGHTS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 Aug 2019
IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. said he wants to face WBA welterweight king Manny Pacquiao than fighting Canelo Alvarez. The 29-year old Spence told EsNews that he is setting his sights on the legendary Pacquiao after hurdling Shawn Porter.
"Pacquiao is the biggest fight for me, period,? Spence explained. ?I feel like me fighting Pacquiao would make me a superstar, especially if I down Manny Pacquiao.?
Spence in previous interviews expressed his interest in facing Canelo Alvarez, the unified middleweight champion and the present PPV king. Oscar Dela Hoya, Canelo's promoter, also likes the fight to happen, saying he wants his Mexican prot?g? to engage with the best fighters and the toughest challenges available.
But the direction to where Spence is heading is to clean first the best weight category there is, the welterweight division, before moving up to the heavier division and face a bigger opponent in Canelo.
Spence in his latest victory came from a lopsided unanimous decision win over lightweight champ Mikey Garcia, and he will climb the ring with a distinct advantage over Porter.
But Porter is not an easy opponent with his triumphs over high caliber boxers such as Danny Garcia, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Adrian Granados, and Yordenis Ugas.
Several fans and scribes are demanding the winner of the fight between Spence and Porter to challenge Pacquiao next. The fight will unify three major belts, WBA, IBF, and WBC, whose fighters are all under the same promotion Premier Boxing Championship.
It was designed that the unified champion will clash with the WBO title holder and the no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Terrence Crawford to once and for all determine the overall ruler of the 147-pound division.
Regarding his opinion on the coming Spence vs. Porter fight, Pacquiao kept the doors open for both fighters and informed reporters that he might come and witness the fight. "We'll see. I might go into the fight and watch the fight on September," Pacquiao said.
Both Spence and Porter are quality opponents for the eight division world champion, but his team sensed "danger" if the 40-year old veteran would fight with either Spence or Porter, as Philstar reported.
"If we beat Spence, what will we gain? And what will happen if he ends up beating Manny?? trainer Buboy Fernandez said.
The same sentiment goes with matchmaker Sean Gibbons who clarified that they have no plans of fighting both younger champions. "We are not planning to fight Shawn Porter or Errol Spence,? Gibbons said.
Fernandez and Gibbons are troubled with the thought of facing Spence or Porter as they both believe that the two welterweight titlists are "high-risk yet low-reward opponents" for Pacquiao. Most dangerous is Spence whose size and style they analyzed will trouble Pacquiao especially at his age.
"He is close to 41. What we need to do is protect him and his career,? Fernandez explained.
Pacquiao's handlers want Danny Garcia or Mickey Garcia as probable next opponents. Danny Garcia has announced he likes to challenge the winner of the Pacquiao vs. Thurman championship.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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