By Aragon Garcia: Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao has tested negative for the COVID 19 coronavirus in response to being recommended to take the test, according to ESPN MX. The WBA welterweight champion Pacquiao reportedly came in contact with a politician that had tested positive for the coronavirus in the Philippines.
Out of a precaution, Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) was tested. Manny took the test last Friday after being told that he should consider going into quarantine just in case.
Pacquiao, 41, is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career in beating previously undefeated WBA Super World welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman last July. It was only three years ago that Thurman was recognized as the #1 welterweight on the planet but Pacquiao’s speed, experience, and the fast pace was too much for him.
In other news, Mikey Garcia is saying that he wants to challenge Pacquiao for his WBA title, and he’s ready and willing to travel to Saudi Arabia or wherever he needs to fo him to make that a reality. Garcia (40-1-1, 30 KOs) just evened out his record at 147 at 1-1 after beating former WBO 147 pound champion Jessie Vargas (29-3-2, 11 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision on February 29 in Frisco, Texas.
Garcia performed a lot better in this fight than he had in his first effort in the 147 lb division against IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in March of last year. The 5’6″ Mikey says he’s now proven his doubters wrong, who said that he’s too small for the welterweight division, and he’s now ready to fight Pacquiao.
Mikey ready to fight Pacquiao
“I feel like that’s going to excite the people and get everybody on board,” said Mikey to SI Podcast on his win over Vargas. “I think Manny [Pacquiao] was excited that I won because that means it’s a good fight for him where it’s a good business decision also. It’s not just a good fight, but it’s a good business decision. I just feel like the opportunity now is a lot closer than it has ever been,” said Mikey.
“And I can use my intelligence and my counter-punching abilities and timing to beat and overcome that aggressiveness and power that Manny possesses. I can deliver, and I’m proving everybody wrong,” said Mikey.
It could be a very good business move on Manny’s part to fight Mikey in the summer in Saudi or whenever the fight is allowed to take place. With the difficulties involved with traveling, it’s not a good time for Pacquiao to be fighting Mikey. Even if one of the foreign countries did allow the fight to take place, it wouldn’t be the right moment.
Pacquiao is working hard in his senatorial job in the Philippines, and it would be a bad look on his part if he took a timeout from his job to fight Mikey.
