Arum to meet with Pacquiao on August 9 to discuss Crawford/Vargas

08/01/2016 James Slater

Top Rank boss Bob Arum is set to fly out to Manila on August 9, to meet up with the soon to return to the ring Manny Pacquiao and discuss his planned November 5 return to action. According to The Manila Times, Arum says Pac-Man’s opponent will likely be either unbeaten, recently unified WBO/WBC 140-pound champion Terence Crawford or once-beaten reigning WBO welterweight ruler Jessie Vargas.

“I have already booked my flight to Manila, I’m looking forward to that meeting” Arum said. “So far, they [Crawford and Vargas] are the candidates. It’s going to be an absolute blockbuster of a fight, either of the two. Everybody is excited to see Manny return. His last fight against Timothy Bradley was great.”

Jessie Vargas wants Pacquiao

07/30/2016 James Slater

He may have lost out on a big unification meeting with IBF champ Kell Brook, but reigning WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas believes he is on the verge of a much bigger fight: one with the soon to return Manny Pacquiao. As fans have read, superstar Pacquiao is, according to his promoter Bob Arum, set to return to action in November, in Las Vegas. Vargas, 27-1(10) and beaten only by Pacquiao common opponent Tim Bradley, told media members in Vegas yesterday how he feels he is very close to getting the Nov. 5 date with Pac-Man.

“I am the WBO welterweight champion and he wants to return to fight for this belt,” Vargas said as quoted by The National. “The fight is still under negotiation and I can say that soon we will announce it, although I do not want to advance because in boxing everything can change every minute. Manny has never faced someone like me. I’m at my best, I have several advantages. I’m taller and faster than him. I’m a really smart fighter too. I not only want to face him but I want to beat him. Juan Manuel Marquez did it and I want to beat him too, mainly because at his best he gave many headaches to Mexico fighters.”

Crawford Vs. Pacquiao: can Pacquiao possibly win?

07/24/2016 James Slater

Terence Crawford may well have arrived as the new star of boxing. The unbeaten two-weight champion has been racking up hugely impressive and significant wins for months now, as he has proven time and again how he is deserving of being looked at as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. Crawford is arguably top-six, maybe top-five, and as he showed last night in totally dominating Viktor Postol – a tall, long-armed fighter who could have been a stylistic nightmare for him – his speed and reflexes are truly incredible.

Arum says Pacquiao’s return will happen Nov. 5th – against either Crawford or Vargas; Garcia out

07/19/201607/19/2016 James Slater

Pac-Man’s back. Manny Pacquiao, the superstar who “retired” in April, will fight in Las Vegas on November 5th, promoter Bob Arum said, as reported by The LA Times. The venue will likely be either The MGM Grand, Thomas and Mack or The Mandalay Bay – but who will the opponent be? According to Arum there are now two names in the frame: light-welterweight champion Terence Crawford and welterweight titlist Jessie Vargas.

Manny Pacquiao looks set for comeback, will Floyd’s follow?

07/13/2016 James Slater

Though superstar Manny Pacquiao has not yet fully or officially endorsed his return to the ring, stating how his senatorial duties will always come first, his promoter Bob Arum is certain Pac-Man’s retirement, which came just three months ago, will end on either October 29 or November 5 in Las Vegas. It has been widely covered by many outlets how the 37-year-old great is expected back on one of these date and all that remains to be worked out (aside from just which Vegas venue will host the fight) is who will be the man in the opposite corner of the ring.

Arum spoke to The Mail and he said that one fighter, who was once a possibility, has now been well and truly crossed off the list: Adrien Broner. According to Arum, Broner has a problem understanding the economics of his sport, asking for as much as, or more than, Pacquiao will get paid. “He’s crazy,” Arum said. So who might it be in October or November?

Pac-Man business manager: “The promoter is trying to convince Manny to fight in October, but it won’t happen”

07/04/201607/03/2016 James Slater

Does superstar boxer turned senator Manny Pacquiao really want to fight again, or is it just his promoter Bob Arum who wants him to do so? Arum recently revealed how he had put the date of October 15th “on hold” for a Pacquiao ring return. Arum stated how he believes the former eight-weight king wants to fight again, and he reserved the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for Oct. 15th, “just in case.”

Arum has October 15th date on hold for possible Pacquiao return – Crawford, Garcia, Broner possible foes

06/25/201606/25/2016 James Slater

Will superstar Manny Pacquiao come back? In truth, the former eight-weight ruler has not been away for very long at all. Last fighting in April of this year, all of two months ago, Pac-Man won a wide and largely impressive points win over well-known foe Tim Bradley. But Pacquiao said, both before and after the rubber-match, that he would retire to focus on his political duties. But no sooner had Pac-Man been made a senator did talk of his next fight begin.

Roach would like to see “one more fight” from Pac-Man, says Manny could come back for Mayweather II, Canelo

05/25/2016 James Slater

Has superstar and former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao really retired for good? Even his (former?) trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t know for sure. Speaking with Lance Pugmire of The LA Times, the ace trainer said he has still not been informed by either Pacquiao himself, or his advisor Michael Koncz what the newly elected senator will do with regards to his boxing career. Pacquiao said going into his April 9th rubber-match with Tim Bradley that this would likely be his final fight.

Pacquiao wins Senate seat, Arum now convinced Pac-Man has boxed his last fight

05/11/2016 James Slater

Retired superstar Manny Pacquiao, who, reports from Manila say is now a Senator, will almost certainly have his hands full with his political duties; so much so that he will not fight again. So says his long time promoter Bob Arum in speaking with RingTV.com. It is now not out of the realms of possibility that Pacquiao will get as far as becoming President of his country; this being an honour that would surpass anything the 37-year-old superstar accomplished in the ring.

It really does look like we can now forget about any talk of the possibility of “one more fight” from the eight-weight king. Pacquiao told us upon entering his rubber-match with Tim Bradley in April that this would be his final ring appearance, but millions of fight fans chose not to believe him. Then, with less than a month gone into his retirement, there was talk of how Pacquiao and the also retired Floyd Mayweather Junior would hook up again, in a second mega-money fight. This now looks extremely unlikely (if it didn’t before) as Manny will have no choice but to channel all of his efforts, all of his time and all of his passion into politics; his real love.

Showtime boss thinks Mayweather-Pacquiao II could happen “if fans demand it”

04/12/2016 James Slater

Wanna see a rematch between “retired” great Floyd Mayweather and “retired” great Manny Pacquiao? If you do, and if there are enough fans around the world asking for a rematch of last May’s “Fight of The Century,” it could happen. So says Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza. In speaking with RingTV.com, Espinoza said he has spoken with Mayweather Junior recently, and that the feeling he got was that the 39-year-old would “strongly consider” giving fans any fight – including a rematch with Pacquiao – if the demand were great enough.