Superstar Manny Pacquiao wants his fans to decide who he fights next. Pac-Man, via his social media site, has asked his fans to pick his next challenger who will fight him in the United Arab Emirates. The former multi-weight king and reigning WBO welterweight champ has given fans four names to choose from:
Amir Khan
Jeff Horn
Terence Crawford
Kell Brook
It was assumed, up until yesterday, that Pacquiao would be fighting unbeaten Australian Horn next, in Brisbane. Now, however, in light of Pac-Man’s message and what his advisor Michael Koncz has said (see below article here on ESB) it seems Australia is out and UAE is in. Horn could still get the fight – the biggest of his career and one he dearly wants – but if Manny’s message is anything to go by, the fans will choose via their votes.
It seems we can rule IBF welterweight champ Brook out, as he has said he will be facing his mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jnr next. Khan has repeatedly asked for a mega-fight with his former spar-mate, but the former 140 pound champion has not fought since being brutally KO’d by Canelo Alvarez last May and would likely both want and need a tune-up before heading into a fight as huge as this. Still, you never know and maybe Khan will agree to fight Pacquiao next if he receives enough fan votes.
Terence Crawford would be the toughest challenger for Pacquiao; maybe even to the extent that the majority of fans would pick him to defeat Pac-Man if he fought him. According to ESPN.com, Khan currently (at time of writing) leads the poll with the biggest number of votes. So fight fans who voted prefer the idea of Pacquiao going up against “King Khan” over Crawford.
Maybe it will come to nothing and Horn will actually get the big fight he craves after all, but with all due respect, he is the least appealing fighter on the four-man list Pacquiao has asked us to pick from.