FILE – Manny Pacquiao reacts after defeating Keith Thurman by split decision in a welterweight title fight Saturday, July 20, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
MANILA, Philippines — Longtime boxing promoter Bob Arum thinks it would be frivolous for Manny Pacquiao to move up in weight and not to mention challenge a much bigger fighter in IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
The Top Rank honcho’s comments came after Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach said in an earlier interview that Pacquiao “might want to go a little bit higher and fight GGG (Golovkin).”
Roach, though, made it clear that he won’t advise the Filipino ring icon to climb to fight Golovkin at 160 pounds.
“I know Golovkin appears to be over the hill, but it’s a fight that could be very dangerous for Pacquiao. He isn’t even a welterweight really let alone a middleweight. His best fighting weight is 140, at 147 I think he’s pretty much outsized by all the good welterweights,” Arum, who handled Pacquiao during his prime, said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
“I know he fought Keith Thurman, who had lost his desire to fight and had been out so long, but he would have a real test against Terence Crawford or Errol Spence, guys like that. Maybe he could beat them, I don’t know. He thinks he can, but to go up any higher would be silly.”
Pacquiao, who left Arum’s Top Rank to sign with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions in 2018, put on a stellar show in a victory over Keith Thurman to capture the WBA (Super) welterweight crown last July.
The 41-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) is currently in talks with Arum and undefeated WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) for a potential showdown.
Another unbeaten champion in Errol Spence, who holds the IBF and WBC belts, has also expressed his interest in taking on Pacquiao.