By Nick Giongco
With Manny Pacquiao joined by the creme dela creme of the welterweight division over at Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), it doesn’t look like a collision course with Terence Crawford is on the radar screen.
Crawford is promoted by Hall of Famer Bob Arum, whose Top Rank Inc. had Pacquiao under its banner for over ten years.
Arum had broached the idea of pitting Crawford, the only leading 147-pounder not with the PBC, with Pacquiao but the Filipino southpaw doesn’t think it’s going to happen.
“That’s unlikely to happen,” said Pacquiao, the World Boxing Association titlist, about getting it on with the World Boxing Organization champion.
Save for Crawford, all the other top welters are signed with PBC: International Boxing Federation king Errol Spence, World Boxing Council ruler Shawn Porter and WBA ‘Super’ titleholder Keith Thurman.
Even a rematch with Australian Jeff Horn is a long shot, according to Pacquiao, who is coming off a clear-cut win over Adrien Broner in Las Vegas two weeks ago.
A May fight is what Pacquiao wants next but he insists that he can also be available in July.
Of course, a second meeting with Floyd Mayweather is still right up there but everything would largely depend on whether the unbeaten American will come out of retirement.
