The Filipino Boxer/Senator is looking to fight at least 2 times for next year. Pacquiao has not fought for the year 2020 and his last fight was when he won the WBA against Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao is looking to fight in April 2021 at the earliest. With the pandemic happening, he is still working in the Philippines as a senator and is really busy at the moment. No opponent has been officially announced yet but a few big names are calling out the Filipino boxer.
There have been talks about a potential super money fight with Conor Mcgregor. It will surely generate high PPV revenues. Mcgregor has also responded that he is willing to face Manny Pacquaio. One of the reasons that he is going to fight Dustin Poirier is because Poirier is a southpaw as well which could help him prepare if the boxing fight happens.
Manny Pacquiao may not be in his prime but he still is a big name especially for casual fans. He is still the WBA Champion and can still beat the top contenders of the division.
The current WBO champion, Terence Crawford has been interested in the Manny Pacquiao unification fight as well. Crawford said that he closed the doors for the potential fight with Errol Spence Jr since Spence is only willing to fight if he gets at least a 60/40 deal.
One of the reasons for the delay is usually the fighter cut issues. Spence Jr thinks that he is the top dog of the division because he holds 2 belts of the division while Crawford thinks that he is as well being the undisputed champion prior and one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
Although in terms of matchmaking, it is much easier for Pacquiao to fight Spence rather than Crawford since Pacquiao and Spence share the same promotion. Crawford is currently signed with Top Rank owned by Bob Arum. Manny Pacquiao’s prime was spent on Top Rank but has left, so given the history, it is difficult to make the fight happen.
Manny Pacquiao could also fight Mikey Garcia which would be an interesting matchup as well. Pacquiao has been fighting a lot of top contenders that have a big size advantage over him and it may be risky to fight someone as big as Errol Spence Jr. Garcia is also a champion that only has one lost once and it was to Spence Jr.
The size advantage may create a one-sided fight and be too much for the Filipino boxer considering he is already 42 years old. Mikey Garcia vs Manny Pacquiao could create an exciting fight where the classic Pacquiao vs Mexican boxer will be showcased once more.
The reason it would be wise for Manny Pacquiao to fight Conor Mcgregor or Mikey Garcia because it is a more winnable fight for him on paper. The money is always there when Pacquiao fights but to fight Crawford or Spence is a risky move. He has nothing to prove anymore, he is already cemented as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers of all time.