WBC and IBF welterweight king Errol Spence Jr. is hoping to meet Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao should he negotiate his defence against two-weight champion Danny Garcia in front of socially distanced fans at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on December 5.
Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) hasn’t fought since unifying against WBC title-holder Shawn Porter in September 2019 before suffering serious injuries in a high speed car accident the following month. Fight fans may wonder if Spence will be quite the same fighter but the Texan southpaw’s hunger for success is undiminished with a unification bout against WBA Super champion Pacquiao the perfect chance to take his profile to another level altogether.
“He’s on his way out so I’d love to have that fight [before Senator Pacquiao moves on to a full-time career in politics]. He’s a living legend and I’ve never fought someone of that calibre,” Spence told The Sun. “He’s big and not just a boxing star, he’s an icon, a mega-star.
“That would be different and it would send me somewhere else popularity-wise. Pacquiao has been in the sport 20-something years, he’s an icon even outside the sport. Everybody knows who Manny Pacquiao is. That would be a great fight for me.”
But Philadelphian Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) stands in the way of that dream though Spence is energised by fighting in his home state and showing reports of his demise are premature.
“I fought at the [Dallas] Cowboys stadium before, but to be fighting again, especially after my accident, this is a great homecoming,” he said.
“I’m very excited because I know people are watching me closely thinking I won’t be the same Errol Spence as I have been.
“I’m just focused to prove everybody wrong and go out there and be victorious.”
Spence-Garcia will be broadcast on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View on December 5 in the US.
