Photo by Randolph B. Leongson
While Manny Pacquiao doesn’t find Mike Alvarado a palatable foe on April 14, the eight-division world champion may yet sign the contract being dangled by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
That’s because agreeing to fight Alvarado rather than his opponent of choice, Lucas Matthysse, will assure Pacquiao of a bigger, more rewarding fight against either Terence Crawford or Vasyl Lomachenko in November.
And to make the offer even more enticing, Pacquiao will be given the leeway to choose between Crawford or Lomachenko, both of whom are regarded among the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters.
Preferring to pit his fighters against each other, Arum has Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) calendared to battle Alvarado (38-4, 26 KOs) in an ESPN card headlined by Crawford against Jeff Horn for the WBO welterweight crown.
The 86-year-old Arum expects Pacquiao to score an impressive win, even via knockout, over Alvarado, at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Arum told Ring TV.com that Pacquiao’s fight in the fall will be against either Crawford, provided that he beats Horn, or Lomachenko.
“That’s going to be up to Mr. Pacquiao,” Arum said. “I’m going to be like Switzerland having both of these guys. Both can make good money fighting Pacquiao and I’m going to let Manny, assuming everything works out in April, make the decision.”
Pacquiao must hurdle Alvarado first if he wants another megabuck bout.