It was perceived to have wholly evaporated.
But, in an intriguing turn, the imagined fight between the legendary Manny Pacquiao and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Conor McGregor is back, boiling hot.
Pacquiao signed up with McGregor’s management team Paradigm Sports Management, thereby declaring he approaches everything positively.
“I am proud to partner with Paradigm Sports Management. I am excited for the opportunities Paradigm has to offer,” Pacquiao said in a statement.
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The most exciting possibility: A super rich clash with McGregor, who made a stirring comeback in January by obliterating Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in 40 seconds of a Mixed Martial Arts mismatch.
Prior to that bout, Pacquiao went out of his way to greet McGregor, urging the Irish star to “do his very best.”
There was no chance for McGregor to display his full worth, or what’s left of it. All his damned opponent did was to stand stiff, frozen like an icy scarecrow.
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Paradigm said Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers of all time, and “we look forward to working with him, the rest of the team, to maintain his historic legacy.”
In Floyd Mayweather’s case, it’s doubtful if the victory in 2017 over McGregor, then debuting as a boxer, added anything to enhance his image.
With no convenient and rich event in sight, Paquiao, reigning WBA super welterweight champion, can only be expected to settle for McGregor next.
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There could be minor hitches, like the threat by UFC chief Dana White, who said he was suing McGregor, because the controversial Irish known as Notorious is under contract with UFC.
Pacquiao is also officially linked with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions.
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Meanwhile, there’s a growing consensus that Pacquiao would next be in for a burp of a KO feast.
“It will be a demolition job, similar to the one Pacquiao had against Ricky Hatton,” said the keen-eyed boxing analyst Ed Tolentino.
How will Pacquiao do his job? Will he tarry and toy with McGregor in the early rounds, like what Mayweather did in 2017, before stalking and stopping McGregor in the 10th round?
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By the way, Mayweather has also revealed that he barely trained for McGregor.
“All I did was do push-ups and sit-ups, hit the bag, do a little boxing,” Mayweather told BoxingScene.com
Yes, Mayweather admitted he also took the McGregor assignment seriously.
He said he boxed a few times in order to entertain the people.