A super-fight between pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford and Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao is in play for Abu Dhabi on June 5.
Talks are underway for a scintillating showdown that would give the ultra-gifted Crawford the marquee-name opponent he has long craved whilst providing the ageless Pacquiao the chance to, once again, underline his greatness in the fight game.
According to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, Crawford’s promoter Top Rank has told its network partner ESPN and pay-per-view distributor In Demand to reserve the June 5 date for Crawford-Pacquiao.
The structure of the deal relies entirely on the proposed bout taking place in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
“Discussions have taken place for a very long time,” a Top Rank source later told ESPN.com. “And while the fight is not yet close to being finalised, if it does take place, Abu Dhabi is the targeted location and June 5 is the targeted date.”
WBO welterweight king Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) was last seen blitzing former IBF champion Kell Brook in four rounds last November. Eight-division champion Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) has been out of the ring since a rousing July 2019 decision over the previously unbeaten Keith Thurman.