The proposed Pacquiao-Crawford fight has been widely promoted for the last two years but it seems the fight that boxing fans want to see may not take place within this year.
Earlier Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao and Crawford said the two Top Rank stable mates could be facing each other this fall assuming both hurdle their immediate assignments.
Pacquiao is set to face unbeaten Australian challenger Jeff Horn on July 2 at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia while Crawford has just scored another victory over challenger Felix Diaz by way of TKO last Saturday. Pacquiao is 9-1 favorite to dispose Horn on fight night.
Assuming Pacquiao wins over Horn on July 2, the situation would fit Arum’s plan for fight in the fall but Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said he will continue to pursue and revive his failed negotiation for the long-awaited Pacquiao-Khan fight.
Before signing up with Horn last month, Koncz was presented a lucrative offer from a Middle East group to stage the long-delayed Pacquiao-Khan fight in UAE. Unfortunately the fight negotiations failed to gain traction due to timing and funding constraints. Read more:
Certainly, Arum stands to make more money with the proposed Pacquiao-Khan fight if it happens in UK or UAE and if Koncz can make a deal the UAE group or Khan’s UK handlers. If this happens, Pacquiao can give Crawford a shot by early next year.
There is a possibility though that the widely promoted Pacquiao-Khan fight could eventually fall apart for a variety of reasons which include among other things the funding for the UAE fight and the prohibitive purse that the Khan handlers are asking.
If this happens, there is a remote possibility that Pacquiao-Crawford will happen in the fall provide the unbeaten Omaha native can dispose Julius Indongo of Namibia who is unbeaten in 22 pro fights and holder of IBF, IBO and WBA 140-pound titles.
Crawford is interested in the Indongo fight because it is a full unification bout and Arum seems receptive to the idea.
“He’s a good fighter, this guy [Indongo],” Arum said. “That’s a guy that people haven’t heard of because he hasn’t fought in the United States. But our matchmakers say he’s a damn good fighter. And apparently, [he’s] looking forward, down the line, to fight Terence. … There is this kid that’s coming on, that’s a very, very good fighter, that I think holds two titles now at 140. That’s a good possibility,” Arum said.
Crawford’s wish to unify the 140-pound title makes it even remote that the Paqauiao fight could happen next unless he moves quickly to 147 where Pacquaio has been campaigning for several years.
