Pacquiao-Crawford gets boost as Porter rejects Top Rank offer

Chances of Manny Pacquiao battling Terence Crawford this year get a boost following Shawn Porter’s rejection of Top Rank’s initial offer for him to challenge Crawford for the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt.

Pacquiao has declared he wants Crawford for his next fight and the unbeaten Nebraskan retorted the eight-division world champion is his prime target with Porter coming in next.

The only obstacle from the megabuck Pacquiao-Crawford happening thus far is Pacquiao’s asking price of $40 million with the three-division world champion raking in $10 million.

Sans a title, Porter was initially dangled $2 million to fight Crawford but the two-time 147-pound champion won’t take the bait.

Porter, a former sparring partner of Pacquiao, told boxingnews.com the offer was demeaning.

“I understand the business of boxing at this point, and to even begin negotiations at $2 million is an insult, and everybody in the sport of boxing knows the welterweight division is the hottest division in boxing,” said Porter, who holds a 33-3-1 record with 17 knockouts. The losses coming from Errol Spence Jr, Keith Thurman and Kell Brook.

According to Crawford, currently ranked the world’s best pound-for-pound with a 37-0, 28 knockout slate, he prefers Pacquiao over Porter.

“Yeah I prefer the Manny Pacquiao fight over Shawn Porter, but Shawn Porter is a great fight in its own right and I am going to be ready for whichever one comes to fruition,” Crawford told fightsports.tv.

For Crawford, Pacquiao was the logical choice. (READ: Pacquiao begins training for upcoming ‘legacy’ fight)

If Arum finds a way to secure $50 million, which will likely be available only in the Middle East, Crawford stands to receive the biggest paycheck of his career.

Also, a win over Pacquiao, a universal crossover superstar, would cement Crawford’s status as an all-time great and pave the way for even more lucrative fights.

This early, the 42-year-old Pacquiao is preparing for his next fight, posting on Instagram a video of him jogging and shadowboxing.

Whether it will be against Crawford, 33, still hangs. 

Spence, four-division world champion Mikey Garcia, and unscathed upstart Ryan Garcia are also dying to share the ring with Pacquiao.  – Rappler.com