By Keneth Friedman: Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford could return to the ring this year in a unification fight at 147 in Bahrain. Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum is hopeful that a match can be put together between him and superstar Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs).
Arum has talked of wanting to make Pacquiao-Crawford for many years, but he’s never been able to get it done. Now, it sounds like the Top Rank is optimistic that he can finally get this mouth-watering match made in 2020. However, boxing fans remain skeptical that Arum will be able to negotiate this match.
They see Arum’s continual talk of the Pacquiao-Crawford fight as a way of name-dropping to help increase Crawford’s popularity without him fighting anyone popular. Despite being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, Crawford hasn’t put in with the big names during his 12-year career to take his popularity to another level.
It’s going to take a lot of work for Arum, Top Rank, and MTK to get the Crawford vs. Pacquiao fight made, but it’s possible. It’ll require a hefty site fee from the organizers in Bahrain to make that a reality.
Right now, it’s not looking good for WBA welterweight champion Pacquiao and WBO champ Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) to fight in the U.S this year due to the problems with an absence of a gate. For a fight like Pacquiao-Crawford, it’ll require a large gate to bring in the money to cover the purses for the fighters.
Arum talks Pacquiao vs. Crawford
“We hope to get Crawford and Pacquiao in action this year,” said Arum to IFL TV. “Through our friends at MTK, we are in serious talks for Bahrain to do major fights there with the Sheik’s company that’s involved in boxing and MTK is carrying the big laboring oar.
“We put out a release today that we’re agreeable with it, and I’d love to do some big events in Bahrain. Well, let’s see what happens,” said Arum when asked if the potential fight between Crawford and Pacquiao goes to Bahrain.
“Everybody wants to do these events until the time comes for them to put up the money. But with Bahrain, I think we have a good shot at getting it done,” said Arum.
It sounds promising what Arum is saying about a possible fight between Crawford and the 41-year-old Pacquiao taking place in Bahrain. If there weren’t so many years that have already passed in which Arum has failed to get the Pacquiao-Crawford fight done, it would be more believable that the match will get made in 2020.
Pacquiao is coming off a big win over Keith Thurman last July, and it’s going to be tough for him to top a success like that.
Pacquiao has several other top fighters in the 147-pound division that are options for him to fight. Based on Pacquiao’s recent statements about the pandemic, it sounds like he’s not going to fight this year.
He’s working hard in his senatorial job in the Philipines right now, and it would look bad in front of his constituents if he were to take a timeout from his duties to resume his boxing career by fighting Crawford or whoever.
