Manny Pacquiao Gets $65 M Offer to Face Saul Alvarez in Mexico

Boxing promoter Bob Arum said over the weekend that unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. has refused an offer from a Singapore group to face Manny Pacquiao for $65 million. He also said that "$65 million obviously is a sum that Manny Pacquiao would accept."

A few days after the Singapore offer, Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, a close friend and confidante of Manny Pacquiao, said Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has offered the fighting congressman the same amount of $65 million to face a Mexican boxer, possibly Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in Mexico next year. "In a phone interview, Singson said that Slim had told him about his desire to host one of Pacquiao’s fights as a favor to his countrymen who have been looking to see Pacquiao fight on their soil," Inquirer.net reports. "The $65 million offer to Pacquiao was guaranteed by Slim, who would pick the Mexican opponent for the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer," the report added. According to Singson, Slim wants to bring Pacquiao to Mexico as a favor to his countrymen who have long wished to see Pacquiao fight in their country. The statement of Arum in his interview by Elie Sekbach did not mention the name of the person or party in Singapore who was making the offer. "Slim, for those that haven't heard of him, is currently ranked as the world's wealthiest man by Forbes with an estimated net worth of $74 billion (for perspective Cowboys stadium owner Jerry Jones is worth about $2 billion)," Scott Heritage of Examiner.com reports. "The majority of his wealth today is derived from controlling shares in several telecommunication companies, although he also has interests in raw materials, construction, financial institutions, tobacco companies and even owns a percentage of the New York Times group to name just a few," the report added. Pacquiao is very popular in Mexico for his friendly attitude towards Mexicans, despite reigning supreme over top Mexican boxers including Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, and Marco Antonio Barrera. The Filipino ring icon has fought many Mexican and Mexican-American boxers during the early part of his boxing career. His last fight with a Mexican boxer was against Antonio Margarito, which he won via a unanimous decision. Compared to Antonio Margarito, Saul Alvarez is a little bit shorter in height and in reach. Margarito stands at 5"11", while Alvarez stands at 5'9" with a reach of 71". Pacquiao's height is 5' 6.5" with a reach of 67". Saul Alvarez has the advantage over Pacquiao in height and reach. He also has a bigger body frame than Pacquiao.