Is the Pacquiao-Spence fight good as gone?

A very reliable report says Team Pacquiao considers picking veteran warrior Danny Garcia of Puerto Rico for Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent.

Chief trainer Buboy Fernandez said he would prefer Garcia, 30, a former WBC welterweight champion whose come-forward style is suited for Pacquiao.

Fernandez has also brushed off the possibility of Pacquiao fighting sensational IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence.

Spence was an early main choice for a Pacquiao foe by Hall-of-Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa, a Pacquiao ally and confidante, had also said Spence was tailor-made for Pacquiao. Peñalosa has found Spence, who scored a one-sided massacre over Mikey Garcia in Arlington, Texas, on March 16, slow and predictable.

Veteran sportswriter Nick Giongco, who attended the Spence-Garcia fight, reported how Pacquiao “drooled over the possibility of fighting Spence.”

Pacquiao, who made a side trip to Texas from Europe, got the spotlight in Arlington where he was called out by Spence from atop the ring.

Pacquiao replied positively—“Why not, that would delight the fans”—to the delight of boxing circles, including various book makers, that readily pegged Spence a big favorite.

It’s odd, but the next time they heard from Pacquiao, the eight-division world champion had excluded Spence in a Twitter survey of whom he should be fighting next.

The Spence fight had seemed so near and very doable, thus making many Filipino fans wonder what had caused the turnaround.

Was Pacquiao’s exclaimed acceptance of the Spence dare merely a slip of the tongue? Or did Pacquiao suddenly come to realize on his way back home his age and size disadvantage against Spence?

There were also those who felt Pacquiao could’ve had a misreading here, claiming that Spence did look super and invincible in Arlington only because Garcia was nothing but a lame duck bet who did not come to fight and win.

So far, there has been nothing from Spence.

The other day, veteran promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank made a startling offer to Al Haymon of Premier Boxing Champions to pit Spence against the unbeaten WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

It was generally believed Arum and Haymon were not on speaking terms.

Arum took to Twitter and said, “Errol Spence said that he is ready to fight Terence Crawford. We are ready to do that next once Bud is successful against Amir Khan on April 20. It’s what fight fans want. Al should I call you or will you call me?”

Meanwhile, Team Pacquiao has been insisting the battle-scared eight-division world champion did not intend to duck Spence.