Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO) is one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, and also one of the most beloved. He may have lost his “Fight of the Century” matchup vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr., but he remains the People’s Champ. His promoter Bob Arum, the CEO of Top Rank, says Pacquiao is going to retire next year.
"He's gonna fight again next year but his goal is to become a senator in the Philippines, which he will be next year, and then to be president,” Arum told TMZ. "I think Manny will retire once he's elected to the Senate of the Philippines which is next year ... he's gonna hang up the gloves."
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Before boxing fans have to say goodbye to Manny, here are five fights he should consider before he leaves the ring.
Terence “Bud” Crawford (26-0, 18 KO)
Crawford is a budding superstar, who not only has defensive chops reminiscent of a young Floyd Mayweather Jr., but a flair for the dramatic. Crawford has just recently moved to junior welterweight, and in his first fight at 140 pounds felt out Thomas Dulorme for five rounds. In the sixth, he shifted gears, and quickly ended Dulorme’s night via TKO. Crawford has the goods, and facing Pacquiao would be a pass-the-torch type of fight.
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If Pacquiao fought him at 140 pounds, or some catch weight less than the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, we might see more zip and power from Pacman than he’s shown in years. If Crawford can win that fight, he would instantly become a rock star. It’s a perfect way for Arum to cash out on Pacquiao.
Keith “One-Time” Thurman (26-0, 22 KO)
It’s so unlikely that this would happen because of the politics between Arum and Premier Boxing Champions founder Al Haymon, but Pacquiao is everything Thurman needs to become a superstar. Thurman already has the power to make him entertaining. He loves to speak his mind, and has never given a boring interview. He’s simply missing a big name on his resume, because he keeps getting ducked by top contenders.
Pacquiao is the biggest fish in the sea not named Mayweather. He could also give Thurman an education; his fast hands and skill would be a big upgrade from anything Thurman’s seen yet in his career. A victory over Pacquiao vaults him up several levels, and likely makes him a PPV star.
Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KO)
This matchup’s biggest draw is that fans will stop having to hear Khan boast about his vast fan base, and how many problems he will give elite fighters. Khan has extremely fast hands, yes, but he hasn’t proven to be on the level of Mayweather or Pacquiao yet. He has lost two of his biggest fights—to Lamont Peterson and Danny “Swift” Garcia (by KO)—and his biggest victories are against Marcos Maidana early in his career, the overrated Devon Alexander, and Chris Algieri, who Pacquiao knocked down six! times.
If Pacquiao has anything left in the tank, he may be able to provide some fireworks by knocking Khan out, and removing him from the main event picture for a while.
Danny “Swift” Garcia (31-0, 18 KO)
Boxing fans are dying to know if Garcia’s for real. The record is glossy, and he has wins at junior welterweight over Khan and Lucas Matthysse, but he also has questionable performances vs. Peterson and Mauricio Herrera. He has also been cherry-picking opponents since 2013, causing fans to wonder if even he believes in that zero in the loss column.
Garcia mangled Paulie Malignaggi in his welterweight debut, so he’s ready for the big dogs. Pacquiao has the speed and power to make Garcia sweat, and, as a counter-puncher, Pacquiao should play into his hands. This would be an intensely entertaining scrap if Haymon and Arum would let it occur.
Adrien “The Problem” Broner (30-2, 22 KO)
In no way, shape, or form would Broner deserve a matchup of this profile by next year. But Broner struggles with aggressive fighters; Maidana and Shawn Porter both bulled him into submission, so Pacquiao would likely turn him into mincemeat. That would be a treat for boxing fans who continue to be subjected to Broner’s antics despite his utter lack of entertainment value inside the ring vs. opponents presenting any credible threat.
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