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MANILA, Philippines – Put Terence Crawford back in line for the Manny Pacquiao fight derby.
After repeatedly spurning a welterweight title duel between Crawford, the World Boxing Organization champion, and Pacquiao, the World Boxing Association titlist, promoter Bob Arum is now batting for a unification bout featuring his current star and former cash cow.
“Crawford and Pacquiao is a real possibility, and that’s one of the things we’re working on,” Arum, head honcho of Top Rank Promotions, told IFL TV as reported by Boxing News 24.
Hinting the bout could be held outside of the United States, Arum added foreign countries keen on hosting Pacquiao-Crawford must pay the corresponding site fee.
Saudi Arabia, which has been mentioned as potential venue of Pacquiao’s next fight, and the United Arab Emirates can take care of such hefty amount even if the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled sports events and is predicted to cause worldwide recession.
If the financial issues are settled Arum is certain “Pacquiao wants to fight Crawford and Crawford wants to fight Pacquiao.”
The 88-year-old Arum’s new stance is in consonance with that of Top Rank president Todd DuBoef, who announced last week that Crawford (36-0, 27 knockouts) wants to fight either Errol Spence or Pacquiao.
In an interview with badlefthook.com on March 10, Arum shot down Pacquiao-Crawford.
“Manny Pacquiao won’t fight (Crawford). Yeah, I don’t want Manny to fight him because it’s a devastation and I still have a soft spot for Manny. And guys like Sean Gibbons (MP Promotions president) and so forth don’t want Manny to fight him because they feel the same way. So rule out a fight.”
With no economically viable opponent in sight for Crawford, Arum was forced to consider Pacquiao, who remains to be among boxing’s biggest draws and whose stock further soared following his victory over the erstwhile unscathed Keith Thurman last July 20 in Las Vegas.
Thurman is also pining for a rematch with Pacquiao while Spence, Danny Garcia and Mikey Garcia are also chasing a megabuck bout with Pacquiao, who’s doing light training at his residence in Dasmariñas Village, Makati while waiting for COVID-19 to die down. – Rappler.com
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