BoxRec

If Pacquiao intends to run for the Philippine presidency during 2022, then time is running out on his boxing career. He needs to pay off his debts and also raise funds for his electoral campaign.

So if Manny is intent on exploiting the biggest payday opportunities, which at 147lbs would be bouts against Spence Jr. or Crawford (contests he’d be heavily-favoured to lose, perhaps even by stoppage), then he may as well agree to facing GGG, because at least he’d earn much more money engaging in a fight at 160lbs.

If Pacquiao loses against Golovkin, then his legacy will be untarnished, because he took a huge risk by becoming a massive underdog daring to be great (or become even greater). He’d also be paid handsomely.

Getting stopped at 147lbs by Spence Jr. or Crawford would probably tarnish his legacy a little and he’d also be paid less than the sum he could have earned against GGG.

That's the logic anyway. I don’t think the fight happens though.

I wouldn't think losing to any of the 3 would tarnish his legacy.

I mean I guess you got some idiots that can never grasp that fighters age and don't stay in their prime forever, but most people rank Joe Louis over Marciano, so I think most people get the concept of aging.

The ones that can tarnish legacys are when past it guys take loss after loss and people start to forget how good they once were

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑16 Jun 2020, 12:39 The ones that can tarnish legacys are when past it guys take loss after loss and people start to forget how good they once were

That kinda goes away when you finally hang 'em up and stop though.

Seemed like Roy Jones was going down and down and down on All Time lists when he was losing left and right, but now that he's hung 'em up, he's kinda going back up again because now everyone only watches the good moments of his career.

But you do have a point. I'm sure guys like Ezzard Charles and Henry Armstrong would be more universally praised if they didn't lose so much as they aged, but hell Robinson took a lot of L's in his latter years, and nobody disputes his standing as one of the Gods of Boxing lore.

KO losses definitely hurt you worse than Decision losses as far as how people remember 'em though, so it probably works in Robinson's favor that he was never stopped (well...except by Maxim where the heat stopped him, but that's a little different)

If PAC lost competitively in stoppage losses to bud or Spence it would enhance his legacy. It's all icing for him now.

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑16 Jun 2020, 07:00 If Pacquiao intends to run for the Philippine presidency during 2022, then time is running out on his boxing career. He needs to pay off his debts and also raise funds for his electoral campaign.

So if Manny is intent on exploiting the biggest payday opportunities, which at 147lbs would be bouts against Spence Jr. or Crawford (contests he’d be heavily-favoured to lose, perhaps even by stoppage), then he may as well agree to facing GGG, because at least he’d earn much more money engaging in a fight at 160lbs.

If Pacquiao loses against Golovkin, then his legacy will be untarnished, because he took a huge risk by becoming a massive underdog daring to be great (or become even greater). He’d also be paid handsomely.

Getting stopped at 147lbs by Spence Jr. or Crawford would probably tarnish his legacy a little and he’d also be paid less than the sum he could have earned against GGG.

That's the logic anyway. I don’t think the fight happens though.

Valid points.

Freddie Roach was just quoting some of Pacman fantasies, so for me this is just gossip.

The only way this fight happens is if Pac or Roach can get GGG to agree to a catchweight at 147-150, which he won't do. Pac has never fought above 150, and at his age it would be a dumb thing to do against even a past his best GGG.

The best fight for Pac right now would be Mikey Garcia, then retire. I think that fight would be close, with a slight edge to Pac. I can't help but think Pac had some extra juice in his tank against Thurman, and MG would make sure testing is solid vs him.

I'd much rather see Pac vs. Crawford or Spence.

I have little interest in a novelty fight between a small welterweight and a middleweight.

Based on Pac's performances against Thurman and Broner, he's still fighting at an elite level so why not have a go at the 2 best?