Will it be Spence for Pacquiao?

Undefeated American willing to fight MP in Manila

by Nick Giongco

Undefeated American world welterweight champion Errol Spence relishes facing Manny Pacquiao, who is looking for someone to fight.

Spence, the reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) 147-lb titlist, said over the weekend in Los Angeles, that he can even travel to the lion’s den.

“I’ll fight Manny Pacquiao anywhere, even in the Philippines,” Spence told the media a month before he meets Mikey Garcia in a defense of his title on March 16 in Arlington, Texas.

Still, Spence, who turns 29 on March 3, isn’t looking past Garcia, stressing that he will be entertaining questions about locking horns with Pacquiao as soon as he gets rid of Garcia in their scheduled 12-rounder at the AT&T Stadium (formerly Cowboys Stadium) near Dallas.

Pacquiao is back among the world’s top ring attractions following his masterful win over Adrien Broner last month in Las Vegas in the first defense of his World Boxing Association title.

With Floyd Mayweather continuing to dilly-dally about his future in a boxing ring, the 40-year-old Pacquiao is looking elsewhere for a dance partner for a July fight.

Like Broner and Mayweather, Spence and Pacquiao are also under promotional contract with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), making it almost trouble-free to put together an all-southpaw showdown for the WBA and IBF titles.

Spence, who hails from Long Island in New York, boasts of a 24-0 record with 21 KOs.

The well-connected Sean Gibbons, Pacquiao’s US representative, has mentioned to the Filipino star about flying to Texas to size up Spence and create a buzz.

“That’s the idea…to go to Dallas,” said Gibbons.