BoxRec

Eddie Hearn is looking to put together a mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Mikey Garcia for July 11 in Saudi Arabia. That’s the working date that Hearn, the Matchroom boss, is targeting for the Pacquiao-Garcia welterweight clash.

Hearn views the fight as one of the biggest that can be made in boxing right now, and he’s looking forward to this fight taking place. Unlike a lot of great matches that never get made, Pacquiao vs. Mikey has an excellent chance of happening.

Manny Pacquiao has found the Fountain of Youth

Pacquiao (62-7-2 39 KOs) has found the Fountain of Youth and has become a modern-day Benjamin Button. The 41-year-old Manny recently defeated WBA welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman last July and looked incredible in winning.

There’s a lot of money to be made by both multi-division world champions, and both fighters are on board to get the deal done.

Mikey (40-1-1, 30 KOs) showed the boxing world that he’s an elite welterweight with his 12 round decision victory over Jessie Vargas last month on February 29. He defeated the former two-division world champion Vargas (29-3-2, 11 KOs) in front of a large crowd at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Mikey beat Vargas by the scores 116-111, 116-111, 114-113.



July 11th the target date for Pacquiao vs. Garcia in Saudi

“That’s a date we’re working on, yeah,” said Hearn to beIN SPORTS USA on July 11 is the date that he’s targeting for the Pacquiao vs. Mikey fight in Saudi. “I love the fight, and I feel it’s one of the biggest fights in boxing. Again, Saudi Arabia asked me to develop a card in July. Someone they like a lot is Manny Pacquiao, a legend in the sport.

“There’s also a huge Filipino community in Saudi Arabia and in the Middle East as well., and Mikey Garcia I believe will be the perfect opponent He had a great fight with Jessie Vargas,” said Hearn.

The Pacquiao-Garcia fight still isn’t a done deal, but it’s looking like it’s going to happen. Errol Spence Jr. and Danny Garcia are two fighters that Pacquiao is interested in facing, but those matches will have to wait. Mikey, 32, is the frontrunner to get the Pacquiao fight, and it’s a great match-up between two multi-division world champions.

Pacquiao has won his last three fights since losing a controversial 12 round decision to Jeff Horn in 2017. Since losing to Horn in Brisbane, Australia, Pacquiao has beaten Thurman, Adrien Broner, and Lucas Matthysse. Pacquiao didn’t receive much credit for defeating Broner and Matthysse, who some fans feel is shot fighters, but he impressed with his victory over Thurman.

Pacquiao and Mikey Garcia aren’t huge welterweights

“Mikey Garcia is NOT a 147-pounder,” said Hearn. “He’s not a welterweight, but he’s so stubborn. He wanted to say, ‘I can do it, and I believe I [can beat Pacquiao],” Hearn said of Mikey stubbornly wanting to prove to the boxing world he can fight at 147 at a high level.

“Manny Pacquiao is not a huge welterweight. This is a difference as well. So for me, Pacquiao against Garcia is a great fight,” said Hearn.

The 5’5 1/2″ Pacquiao is a little shorter than the 5’6″ Mikey, and his reach is one inch shorter as well. Pacquiao has an advantage in hand speed, combination punching, and experience at 147. Mikey is 1-1 at welterweight since moving up to the division in 2019 against Spence Jr.

The biggest area that Mikey needs to improve on for him to have a shot at beating Pacquiao is his work rate. In Garcia’s fights against Vargas and Spence, he didn’t throw a lot of shots. He looking for one big shot, and it wasn’t enough for him to dominate the way he needed to.

Although Mikey did defeat Vargas by a 12 round decision, the fight was closer than two of the judges had it. They scored it 116-111 for Mikey, while the third had it 114-113. The 114-113 score was arguably the more accurate of the three, as Mikey let Vargas control the first 4 and the last 3 rounds. some boxing fans even thought the fight should have been a draw, but the knockdown that Mikey scored in round 5 is what set him apart from Vargas.

Mikey Garcia has a HUGE fan base

“You see with Mikey Garcia, it doesn’t matter if he’s in Dallas with 11,000 people or when I took him to the Chavez [vs. Danny Jacobs] card in Phoenix,” Hearn said. “He’s getting mobbed by fans. They know he’s a big name.

“He’s extremely credible, he has a fan base of American fight fans, Mexican fight fans, and he’s a four-division world champion. He wants to be a five-division world champion. What’s Pacquiao, 5, 6, 7-division world champion?” Hearn said.

Pacquiao will be able to take advantage of Mikey’s huge fan base to help attract boxing fans in watching their fight on DAZN. Mikey is one of the more popular fighters that Pacquiao will have fought since his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015. It’s a win-win for Pacquiao to be taking on Mikey with huge fan base in the U.S.

Manny Pacquiao aging backward like Benjamin Button

“Pacquiao now, he’s like Benjamin Button,” said Hearn. “He’s coming back. He put on one of the best performances of his career against Keith Thurman in his last fight [in July]. So for me, that’s a great fight between two multi-division world champions, and a very close fight as well,” said Hearn.

Aging backwards...I wonder what might help with that lol

Mikey will beat him.

Eddie Hearn has went from being one of the best promoters in the sport to one of the worst really fast.

He's all but abandoned the civilized world with meaningful events.

You don't like the matchup? I think it's good

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 14:03 You don't like the matchup? I think it's good

The matchup is fine. The location is sickening.

Oh I see


Just curious why you care if you aren't going to be there in the first place? Is it a political thing?

Lot of filthy Saudi lucre to grab at.

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 14:08 Oh I see


Just curious why you care if you aren't going to be there in the first place? Is it a political thing?

It's a sh*thole country with scumf*ck people and scumf*ck beliefs. If I were offered to do the same exact job I have now for 1000 times the pay, but I had to do it in Saudi Arabia. I'd turn it down.

To me the people that are willing to go there in pursuit of blood money lack decency.

You don't have to go there bruh, you just have to watch it from your living room like usual

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 14:19 You don't have to go there bruh, you just have to watch it from your living room like usual

Who said I was going there? I wouldn't go if the fight were in Dallas. That's not the point. The point is Eddie Hearn is a piece of sh*t for putting it there.

Getting more money for the guys actually putting their health on the line?

Has Manny actually agreed to the location?
It would surprise me if he has.
Also, this large population of Filipino workers (slaves) in Saudi won't be allowed to come along, even if they could afford it.

I think Mikey is one of the most overrated fighters of recent times I'd pick Manny

I really would like to see a García get his stumpy ass down to 140. He’s a superb offensive boxer and wish he’d stop pretending to be a welterweight. He probably gained a lot of confidence at 147 overcoming early problems to beat up Vargas. Garcia challenging Josh Taylor would be phenomenal. Mikey is a great fighter but his career choices are baffling and often unsatisfying.

A quite intriguing matchup. Garcia doesn't look stellar at this weight, Pac is still credible, I won't be surprised by any result.

Everything I have read points to Manny vs Mikey OR Spence. I suppose it depends more on Spence's condition so he is able to make weight and be ready. Nothing confirmed.

I will say, if Manny vs Mikey comes off, I think MG beats Manny if full random testing is in place. I think that wasn't the case when Manny fought Thurman.

I like Mikey in the fight, Manny is the goat juicer. He laughs at tests.

Onetimeonly wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 22:05 I like Mikey in the fight, Manny is the goat juicer. He laughs at tests.

Pac was defo on something for the Thurman fight wasn’t he?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑13 Mar 2020, 05:36

Onetimeonly wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 22:05 I like Mikey in the fight, Manny is the goat juicer. He laughs at tests.

Pac was defo on something for the Thurman fight wasn’t he?

Nobody has ever been more juiced than he was for cotto. I think he might have stopped.

Pacquiao was only tested by VADA very late during his training camp for the Thurman fight.

This is speculation on my part, but it might have been due to the fact that US law dictates that Pacquiao’s tax bill would have risen considerably had he spent more than three weeks training in America (based on Freddie Raoch's comments). And VADA doesn’t have jurisdiction in the Philippines.

I don’t think that VADA ever explained the reason why they performed the testing so late though. So maybe there were other reasons, but we do know that there wasn't originally going to be any VADA testing at all and for some reason that situation changed quite close to the fight-date.

As I’ve already previously stated… and to some this might be pure coincidence, but Manny’s career-best performances have always came during periods when he either wasn’t being tested or only underwent limited testing.

Only naive believe, that top level pro athletes can be free of juices.

You would be a fool to bet on Mikey Garcia if no full random testing is in place from camp to the fight. If there is, Mikey to win is a good bet. Having the fight in Saudi Arabia with Pac training in his home country leads me to think no random testing will take place, and if so, too late to matter, like the Thurman fight.

I see Garcia posing the same stylistic threats as JMM other than I don't know if Mikey is as tough as JMM (unproven in that department) and doesn't throw as nice of combinations.

I could easily see Pacquaio winning this fight by out working Garcia, but could also see Garcia effectively countering Pacquiao and even hurting him. Pacquaio is really the only top 5 welterweight that Garcia matches up well against IMO. I'm going Pacquaio by decision, but it's a real pick'em type fight.

NateJR wrote: ↑14 Mar 2020, 12:21 I see Garcia posing the same stylistic threats as JMM other than I don't know if Mikey is as tough as JMM (unproven in that department) and doesn't throw as nice of combinations.

I could easily see Pacquaio winning this fight by out working Garcia, but could also see Garcia effectively countering Pacquiao and even hurting him. Pacquaio is really the only top 5 welterweight that Garcia matches up well against IMO. I'm going Pacquaio by decision, but it's a real pick'em type fight.

Manny also being a southpaw only adds to the challenge for MG. Garcia will have to be much busier than in the past to compete well and win.

Mikey Garcia: I Would Fight Pacquiao Similar To How Marquez Did

If Mikey Garcia gets the opportunity he has long wanted, he would approach Manny Pacquiao in a similar manner to how Juan Manuel Marquez boxed the Filipino southpaw.

Mexico’s Marquez, lauded for his ring IQ and precision, knocked Pacquiao unconscious in the sixth round of their fourth fight seven years ago. Their first three 12-round fights were extremely competitive contests that resulted in a split draw in May 2004, a split-decision win for Pacquiao in March 2008 and a majority-decision victory for Pacquiao in November 2011.

Both of Pacquiao’s wins versus Marquez were widely considered controversial. The retired Marquez emphatically ended their rivalry in their fourth fight and never gave Pacquiao an opportunity to avenge that devastating defeat in December 2012.

Garcia discussed a potential showdown with Pacquiao during a new episode of Chris Mannix’s Sports Illustrated boxing podcast.

“He’s very aggressive, very experienced, very strong,” Garcia said of Pacquiao. “But I look at it as an opportunity for me to fight very smart and try to counter-punch, very similar to the way Marquez fought Manny. You know, Juan Manuel Marquez was very, very intelligent, a great counter-puncher. He did fight Manny, you know, four times. And even though he lost the middle two fights, I felt like he had won. So, I think it’ll be very similar in that way, where I can use my intelligence, my counter-punching abilities and timing to try and beat and overcome that aggressiveness and power that Manny possesses.”

Garcia has had conversations with Pacquiao’s representatives about boxing him next. Promoter Eddie Hearn wants to bring that fight for Pacquiao’s WBA “super” welterweight title to Saudi Arabia, but all boxing business is on hold during the coronavirus pandemic.