By Mike Smith: Manny Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) is interested in facing the winner of the March 16th fight between IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 KOs) and Mikey Garcia. Pacquiao likes the idea of facing Mikey or Spence, as he sees either of those opponents as possible options for him if he wins his next fight against Adrien Broner on January 19.
The small 5’6″ Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KOs) is the better option for the 5’6 1/2″ Pacquiao than the 5’9 1/2″ Spence, who might be a little too big for Pacquiao. The guys that Pacquiao has been mostly fighting since he moved up to the welterweight division 11 years ago are smaller fighters than Spence. Although Pacquiao does own wins against some big guys like 5’10 1/2″ Oscar De La Hoya, 5’11” Antonio Margarito, 5’9′ Brandon Rios, 5’10” Chris Algieri and 5’11” Jessie Vargas, he didn’t have to beat a powerful fighter in his prime like Spence. De La Hoya, Mosley and Margarito were on the downside of their careers by the time they fought Pacquiao. Algieri, Rios and Vargas were never top talents. Mikey would be a good option for Pacquiao because he’s small, and would be giving away a lot of size.
“There’s a lot of future possible opponents, including Mikey Garcia,” Pacquiao said to RingTV.com. “I think we have the same promoter so it’s possible…He’s good. I think he’ll bring a good fight,” Pacquiao said about Spence.
Pacquiao, 40, will be in need of a good followup opponent to keep the momentum going after he deals with ‘The Problem’ Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) on January 19 on FOX Sports pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao is the favorite in that fight to beat Broner. It’s not a given that Pacquiao will beat Broner though. Anything is possible when it comes to a fighter like Broner. He’s someone that you never can be sure what type of performance you’re going to get from the Cincinnati, Ohio native, The reason why the odds-makers have Pacquiao as a heavy favorite in that fight is be
After he faces Broner on January 19, Pacquiao will be returning to the ring in May or July, according to RingTV. That’ll be Pacquiao’s second fight for 2019. He doesn’t plan on competing three times this year. So if a fight between Pacquiao and the Spence vs. Garcia fight is to take place in 2019, it’ll need to happen in May or July, because that’ll be the Filipino star’s only other fight this year.
It’s difficult to picture Pacquiao agreeing to fight Spence, 28, if the two of them win their next fights. Spence is looking so good right now that it might cause Pacquiao to go in a different direction towards a safer choice like Danny Garcia or Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman. Those are guys that aren’t as big and as powerful as Spence, and they’re guys that have’t been all that busy with their careers as of late. Pacquiao will need to face a top guy, but it’ll likely not be Spence, especially if he obliterates Mikey like many boxing fans believe he’s going to do when the two of them face each other on March 16.
Spence will win a lot of boxing fans by destroying Mikey, but he also could scare away the other top fighters like Pacquiao, Danny Garcia, Thurman, Shawn Porter and Terence Crawford. Spence might be too big, too strong and too young for the likes of Pacquiao right now. If this was the 2009 version of Pacquiao, then it would be a doable right. Right now though, Spence might be too young and strong for Pacquiao to deal with. Mikey is the better option for Pacquiao by far. But it won’t be a good look for Pacquiao if he chooses to fight Mikey with him coming off of a loss to Spence, especially if it’s a knockout defeat like many boxing fans are predicting it’ll be.
WBC welterweight champion Shawn Porter (29-2-1, 17 KOs) could be an option for Pacquiao in his next fight as well. Porter is already scheduled though to defend his World Boxing Council 147 lb title against Yordenis Ugas (23-3, 11 KOs) on March 9. If Pacquiao intends on getting back into the ring in May or July, it could be difficult for Porter to return to the ring two months later to face him in May. Unless Pacquiao is going to fight in July, Porter would not be a good option for him.
Broner, 29, doesn’t have any pressure on him going into his fight with Manny. Since everyone sees this fight as a showcase match-up for Pacquiao, Broner is in a position where he doesn’t to worry about anyone having high expectations in him. If Broner just shows up and has his moments in losing to Pacquiao, it’s all gravy for him. He gets a nice payday, and gets out of the fight with his reputation sill intact to some degree. It’s obvious that this point in Broner’s career that he’s now being used as an opponent for the bigger names to fight. Broner is no longer showing the type of talent that would enable hi to win world titles and hold them down against all comers.
Broner didn’t have the discipline to hold onto his last title belt at 140. He lost his WBA light welterweight belt after he failed to make weight for his fight against fringe contender Ashley Theophane in April 2016. Although Broner won the fight by a 9th round knockout, he lost his World Boxing Association 140 pound title on the scales. The only other title that Broner has fought since then was the vacant WBC Diamond Super Lightweight Title that was on the line for his fight against Mikey Garcia in July 2017. That’s a made up belt by the WBC, and not one of the world title belts that the fighters view as being prestigious. Broner lost the fight by a one-sided decision to Garcia. Broner might be able to pull off an upset if he can keep Pacquiao on the end of his jab the way Floyd Mayweather Jr. did in 2015. Pacquiao hasn’t fought too many smart fighters that used their jabs against him. Broner has an excellent jab when he chooses to use it.