LAS VEGAS – In a marvel transfer Friday, Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. struck a deal for a welterweight unification bout on August 21 in Las Vegas. The fit will happen in Las Vegas, however the venue has now not been determined, MP Promotion President Sean Gibbons informed Yahoo Sports.
Pacquiao, 42, who hasn’t fought since securing a break up choice victory over Keith Thurman on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 20, 2019, used to be in talks to combat Mike Garcia.
But the danger of a reunification fight with Spence proved too tempting for the Filipino senator to show down.
“I’ve always wanted to challenge myself and take on the biggest fights,” Pacquiao stated. “Erol Spence is an unbeaten champion and I want fights like these.”
In Spence, Pacquiao is dealing with as tricky a problem as he can face. The 2012 US Olympian, 31-year-old Spence, is 27-0 with 21 knockouts and is among the global’s elite pound-for-pound combatants. He is ranked fourth at the Yahoo Sports boxing pound-for-pound record.
Gibbons stated Pacquiao’s eagerness to combat the most efficient units him except his longtime rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather retired 50-0 and defeated Pacquiao in a $600 million mega-fight in 2015.
Pacquiao, who’s 62-7-2 with a 39 KO, will combat slightly greater than two months after Mayweather confronted YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition bout.
“Unlike Floyd Mayweather, who at 42 still wants to beat YouTube stars, the senator wants to fight the best in the world,” Gibbons informed Yahoo Sports. “Floyd’s style may have beaten Manny’s style, but the senator’s work is unmatched. He wins a title at age 40, beating one of the best welterweights in the world, and is now 42 years old.” He’s going to give protection to that belt. He has a legacy that is unrivaled.”
No odds have been posted on BetMGM yet, but Pacquiao figures to be a significant underdog.
The fight will be promoted by Tom Brown’s TGB promotion and will be a Fox Sports/PBC pay-per-view.
More from Yahoo Sports: