After losing to Floyd Mayweather in May 2015, Manny Pacquiao is set to return to the ring in 2016. His potential opponents are Amir Khan and Terence Crawford.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. said that Khan will not pose much of a threat to Pacquiao, and said that Crawford would offer a better fight.
“I think Crawford can beat Pacquiao. Amir Khan’s got a glass jaw, if you look at him too long, he’s gonna fall down. We’ll see, but if Pacquiao hits Amir Khan good, Amir Khan’s gone.” Mayweather told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
Bleacher Report wrote that the Filipino icon’s next fight may be his last. He fought 65 times, won 57 with 38 via knockout, and lost six. He is the only professional boxer who won world titles in eight different weight classes. Pacquiao is currently 36 years old and getting ready to retire.
Khan or Crawford might offer a thrilling fight for boxing fans. As Mayweather’s father noted, Khan’s ability to take a punch is doubtful, but he has hand speed. Crawford is currently undefeated with 27 victories and is known as a sharp and more powerful puncher than Khan.
Tommy Allan of Boxing Asylum, however, tweeted that Khan will be a better match for Pacquiao.
Skip Bayless of ESPN tweeted that Floyd Mayweather Jr. should first fight a healthy Gennady Golovkin, before moving on to fight Pacquiao again. Many fans were disappointed with the lackluster fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, which was supposed to be the biggest boxing match of the century. A lot of fans were asking for a rematch, while others said that they would not want to pay much to watch a boring fight. Mayweather has recently retired so everything else remains in speculation.
BoxingNews24 wrote that Pacquiao may fight the more popular Amir Khan to garner a larger fight purse. However, he can also help Top Rank promoter Bob Arum by fighting Crawford and boosting the latter’s popularity among fans. Mayweather mentioned before the Crawford was not very well known among boxing fans. A fight against one of the biggest names in the sport can change all that. Crawford is a good fighter, as evidenced by his undefeated streak, but he needs to be more acquainted with casual fans.
On the other hand, both Khan and Crawford should not rule out the possibility of Pacquiao planning to retire with a bang. The legend is expected to give them a difficult time, either way.
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