Pacman: Broner first, Mayweather later
Before ending his career with a megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. (right), Manny Pacquiao will look for a sterling victory against Adrien Broner (left). —AFP
Boxing great Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday night formally announced he’s fighting Adrien Broner in January before taking on fellow megastar Floyd Mayweather Jr. once again in May as he tries to put on a fitting finish to his sterling career.
Training starts next week for the sitting senator, who confirmed that he will square off with dangerous four-division champ Broner either on Jan. 12 or 19, in a fight that will also serve as a tune-up to a second clash with Mayweather.
“It’s 90 percent sure,” said Pacquiao, who added that he’d like the Broner fight on Jan. 12 because he wants to be back in the Senate by the 19th.
Las Vegas, site of Pacquiao’s many victories, is the likely venue although the Filipino legend did not confirm it right away.
Pacquiao also confirmed he’s now aligned with boxing promoter Al Haymon, who handles both Mayweather and Broner, and his MP promotions will be copromoting his January fight.
Mayweather is reportedly fighting in December against UFC bad boy Khabib Nurmagomedov, who demolished superstar Conor McGregor in a fight that ended in a full-blown brawl recently.
Pacquiao said he will instead face Mayweather possibly on May 5 or Cinco de Mayo, a date that has become a tradition for big-time boxing fights.
He said he will train even harder than he did against Lucas Matthysse in July. He knocked the Argentinian out for his first KO win in nine years.
“I will try my best if I can finish him (Broner) off early,” said Pacquiao of the dangerous 29-year-old American, who has a colorful life on and off the ring.
Pacquiao and Mayweather clashed in 2015 in the biggest fight in all combat sports that grossed a reported $400 million.
And while it generated mixed response because the thrill did not match the hype, the sequel has gained ground since they bumped into each other last month in a music festival in Japan.
“We will fight for sure,” said Pacquiao in Filipino. “Everything will be discussed after the Broner fight.”
Mayweather famously announced “May-Pac2” via an Instagram post that went viral saying he will take on Pacquiao this December.
But as expected, boxing’s only remaining standard bearers soon realized that the fight of such magnitude sure calls for longer, more deliberate buildup to optimize its revenue.
Pacquiao turned back the clock against Matthysse, in a dominant display. The Filipino icon, also a senator, registered the 60th win and his first knockout in a long while.
