While Pacquiao has yet to formally announce his decision to face Bradley in a trilogy, Arum said he has already discussed the matter with Pacquiao’s longtime Adviser Michael Koncz. Pacquiao is expected to confirm the fight as reported by Arum in the next few days.
“It’s a done deal and it’s going to be a third fight against Timothy Bradley. We took a lot of consideration knowing Bradley has improved a lot as a fighter since the last time they’ve met in 2014,” Arum told The Manila Times Wednesday.
Arum also disclosed that Pacquiao’s April 9 scheduled fight won’t be his last, contrary to earlier reports that it would be Pacquiao’s farewell fight.
“It’s not going to be Manny’s last fight because anything could still happen and you know Manny. That’s why we won’t sell it that way. I don’t think it is Manny’s last fight,” Arum added.
Earlier Arum told Boxing Scene that Top Rank won’t highlight the fight as Pacquiao’s last fight because of the possibility that he will continue with his boxing career beyond his April 9 “farewell” fight.
“We won’t sell it as Manny’s final fight,” Hall-of-Fame promoter Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com. “We won’t do that for the simple fact that – anything could happen. Sure, it could very well be his last ever fight. But should he turn around one day and say he wants to fight again, we will look like a bunch of hucksters in selling the fight that way.”
Pacquiao was expected to announce his next opponent during the Donaire-Juarez fight in Puerto Rico early this month but held his announcement in abeyance without citing the cause of the postponement.
Pacquiao had to choose between Terence Crawford and Timothy Bradley after Amir Khan, who was part of Arum’s original shortlist, walked away from the long-running talks to work on his next fight options.
