SPORTS SHORTS 38: RYAN GARCIA'S FATHER SAYS DEAL WITH MANNY PACQUIAO IS ALMOST DONE AND FIGHT MAYBE A TEN-ROUND EXHIBITION
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 28 Jan 2021
Sean Gibbons, MP Promotions President, agreed that the marketability of a boxing fight with Conor McGregor has nosedived after the UFC star was knocked out in two rounds by Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. The fight with the Irish MMA star is no longer an option since McGregor will focus on completing a trilogy fight with Poirier.
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"Very unfortunate, it looked like Conor looked past Dustin and got knocked out. Maybe he had the Senator on his mind. I think the demand for the fight is not there presently. Conor has some business to clean up and handle in the UFC. It's a bummer, it could have been fun for as long as it lasted," Gibbons told The Sun. McGregor wants to avenge the shocking loss. “I just want to get in and get back into a bounce, especially against that style of fighter, and not take those kicks. Not play with those kicks. It’s just a motherf—er to take. That’s my mind going,” McGregor was quoted by Boxing Scene.
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Pacquiao is now negotiating for a potential bout with undefeated WBC lightweight interim titlist Ryan Garcia. Henry Garcia, the father of Ryan, disclosed that a deal is nearly complete for a fight with the eight-division champion. According to the elder Garcia, Pacquiao's WBA welterweight title will not be at stake and the match may be fought as an exhibition fight.
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There is a 20-year age gap between the two fighters and Pacquiao has a very huge edge in experience. While Ryan is 22-years-old, he is just two years older than Pacquiao's son Jimuel. Henry says his son has always been an admirer of Pacquiao. "Ryan always admired Pacquiao and always wanted to fight a legend before his time was up, he wanted to fight someone of Pacquiao's calibre, so there's a chance it could happen."
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Henry Garcia is hoping to check this week if a deal has been done between the two sides. "Everybody has agreed, all there is left are the details. But both parties have already agreed; promoters have agreed, sanctioning bodies have agreed, so we're very close to sealing the deal. We're going to know this week if everything goes through, we're negotiating today, they are already in discussion," Henry Garcia told MyBettingSites.co.uk via Sky Sports.
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He believes that his son Ryan is ready for Manny Pacquiao because according to him when Ryan puts his mind to something he's not going to back down, he's got all of the confidence in the world. "When you have that confidence and motivation and drive, you can focus on what's in front of you and you're most likely going to become victorious."
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"Ryan likes to take control and we understood that when (Keith) Thurman put pressure on Manny, he had a hard time fighting backwards - when you reach a certain age you're no longer as strong as a 20-year-old, we stand a very good chance. He's 20 years younger than Pacquiao and we feel that's to our advantage and that's one of the reasons why I feel it's a changing of the guard fight - it's our time."
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Garcia's father says the contest maybe a ten round exhibition and he would like to have it at a catch-weight of 143-pounds." I'd like that fight at 143 and I'd love that fight to happen in April or May. This one is possibly going to be in Texas, we're not sure yet," Henry Garcia said. "We don't know exact details yet [on whether or not the fight will be an exhibition], but we're looking at a good 10-rounder but it's going to be a real fight, that I do know."
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Ryan Garcia is ranked as the world's third best active lightweight by The Ring magazine and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, fourth by ESPN, and fifth by BoxRec. Manny Pacquiao is ranked as the world's seventh best active boxer, pound-for-pound, by BoxRec. He is also ranked as the world's third best active welterweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB), ESPN, The Ring, and BoxRec.
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Tobias Harris fired to deliver the winning basket for Philadelphia 76ers as they foiled a late Los Angeles Lakers rally to give the reigning NBA champions their first defeat on the road this season, score 107-106. The Eastern Conference leading Sixers sent a strong message to the Western conference top team and league-leading Lakers. Joel Embiid scored 28 points, Ben Simmons contributed a triple-double of 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and Harris secured the triumph by scoring a jump shot with three seconds remaining. The Lakers, who enjoyed a franchise-best 10 road games at the start, almost maintained the streak. Trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, they rallied with a series of three-pointers to take the 106-105 lead. But Harris' shot spoiled the Lakers' comeback.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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