The number of potential opponents for Manny Pacquiao continues to dwindle. —AFP
Two boxers just got crossed off the Manny Pacquiao queue. Jeff Horn had his opportunity and blew it while Terence Crawford’s promotional rights might be too much of a hurdle to overcome.
Pacquiao has announced plans to fight again this year—possibly twice more—but Horn and Crawford are no longer in the list of potential foes, the eight-division champion told sports journalists on Thursday evening.
Horn had his chance, Pacquiao said, when the Filipino ring icon asked for a rematch of their 2017 showdown which the Australian won via a heavily disputed decision.
Horn turned down that call and sought a fight in the United States against Crawford. He lost to Crawford via TKO in June last year and had turned his focus on Pacquiao, citing unfinished business in hurling a challenge after the Filipino’s decisive victory over Adrien Broner last month
“Hayaan mo sila. Anong unfinished business?” Pacquiao said. (Let them be. What unfinished business?)
“I tried to get a rematch with him, but he chose to fight in America,” Pacquiao added in Filipino. “He lost that fight and I’m coming off a win. Now he wants a rematch?”
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,” he said.
Pacquiao also said it’s unlikely he’ll face Crawford, the 31-year-old WBO welterweight champ who belongs to his former outfit Top Rank Promotions.
Pacquiao now promotes his own fights under his MP Promotions outfit, in partnership with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), a rival of Top Rank.
MP Promotions, according to Pacquiao, gets 70 percent of the revenues of his fights while PBC takes the rest.
Crawford is set to battle former Pacquiao sparring mate Amir Khan on April 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York—and the Pacman has advice for the Khan.
“If Amir can strengthen his chin, Crawford is in danger,” said Pacquiao, adding that Khan must learn to loosen his clenched jaw. “Look at me, how many hooks did I take but they just rolled.”