Spence still wants fight vs ‘living legend’ Pacquiao

Errol Spence Jr., center, celebrates his victory over Shawn Porter during the WBC & IBF World Welterweight Championship boxing match, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

MANILA, Philippines — Errol Spence Jr. is still keen on fighting Manny Pacquiao down the road.

Spence, the WBC and IBF welterweight champion, is set for a title defense on December 5 in Texas against mandatory challenger Danny Garcia, but he made it clear that a showdown with Pacquiao remains in his sights.

“After this fight, of course I would like to fight Manny Pacquiao. He’s on his way out so I’d love to have that fight,” Spence told The Sun.

“He’s a living legend, and I’ve never fought someone of that caliber. He’s big and not just a boxing star, he’s an icon, a mega-star. That would be different and it would send me somewhere else popularity-wise.”

At 41, Pacquiao remains one of the hottest tickets in the sport and Spence knows it’s not every day that one can get the opportunity to be on share the same ring with a legend.

“Pacquiao has been in the sport 20-something years, he’s an icon even outside the sport. Everybody knows who Manny Pacquiao is. That would be a great fight for me,” he said.

But if Spence will have his crack at the Filipino icon, the undefeated Long Island, New York native may have to wait for his turn.

Pacquiao is likely set for a 2021 boxing match against UFC superstar Conor McGregor in a bout Spence doesn’t have any problems with if it is to happen.

“I don’t blame him, Manny Pacquiao earned that right. He’s earned his right to make his money and fight whoever he wants to fight, because he fought whoever was lined up to fight him,” said the 30-year-old Spence.

“I’m not mad at it at all, if I was 40-something and was offered that kind of money to fight Conor McGregor, I’d take the fight too, I don’t blame him.”