Manny Pacquiao is showing interest in a matchup against Mikey Garcia at 147 pounds, who previously held world titles in four different weight classes. Because of this, the rumored fight with Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford has been sidelined. Garcia is so convinced he will get the shot that he's claimed to have put $1 million on his own success.
Manny Pacquiao is interested in facing Mikey Garcia a former four-division world champion at 147 for his next fight. This means the fight between Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is on hold. Mikey is so confident of definitely getting a shot at Pacquiao that he is made claims of betting $1 million on himself to win.
Although we are still waiting for an official announcement from Pacquiao's camp, it seems highly probable that the fight will go ahead. On paper, Pacquiao enters this fight as the clear favorite with a perceived edge.
Garcia's recent history suggests a struggle; he was thoroughly outclassed by Errol Spence Jr. in 2019, losing via a wide unanimous decision (120-107, 120-108, 120-108). Even his victory over Jessie Vargas last year was far from convincing. Since then, Garcia has ignored all other opponents, focusing exclusively on Pacquiao.
Over the last few months, Garcia has gone to great lengths to promote a fight with the legendary eight-division champion. He has been driven by a single goal: making sure he doesn't miss his chance to step into the ring with Manny.
The main disadvantage of this matchup is the financial aspect, as it likely won't bring in nearly as much revenue for Pacquiao as a fight against heavy hitters like Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr. would.
Boxing enthusiasts know that Mikey isn't exactly the most active or dominant force in his division. It feels as though he's trying to talk his way into a high-profile fight he isn't equipped to win. Consequently, the pay-per-view numbers will almost certainly be lower than if Pacquiao faced top-tier opponents like Spence or Crawford.
The logic is simple: fans view Pacquiao vs. Garcia as a mismatch that heavily favors the Filipino legend. Most people aren't willing to shell out $70 or more for a PPV when the outcome feels predetermined. Additionally, it seems Garcia is pushing for Pacquiao specifically because he has no interest in facing the other top contenders at 147 pounds.
Garcia hasn't taken the traditional route to earn a shot at Pacquiao; he hasn't beaten any of the top 10 welterweights, such as Yordenis Ugas, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Shawn Porter, or Keith Thurman.
For the past year, he has remained inactive, doing little more than talking about his desire to fight Manny. To make matters worse, his current physical condition looks less like that of a professional athlete, which further diminishes the excitement for the boxing public.