By Waylon Galvez
If plans push through, the next fight of Manny Pacquiao would be held outside of the United States.
Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum said that he is trying to arrange a blockbuster fight between the fighting Philippine senator and reigning WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford later this year.
“We’re trying to put together a fight with Manny Pacquiao, which would be out of the United States,” Arum told iFL TV Monday. “Now, if we’re able to do that, that’s the fight I hope to put together.”
Arum has been attempting to put together this title fight of Pacquiao-Crowford for months, which he hopes to do in the US sometime in November. However, talks of doing it in another country have surfaced.
Arum, who heads the Top Rank Promotions, did not mention what country, but there were reports that Saudi Arabia is interested in hosting a championship match for Pacquiao.
Tempo tried to reach MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons but he was not available for comment.
The last time the 41-year-old Pacquiao fought was on July 20 last year when he won a split decision over American Keith Thurman for the WBA (super) welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The victory improved the Filipino eight-division world champion Pacquiao’s record of 62 wins – 39 by way of knockouts – with seven losses and two draws.
It stretched Pacquiao’s win streak to three in a span of 12 months after beating Lucas Matthysse of Argentina last July 15, 2018 and American Adrien Broner last January 20, 2019.
Aside from the 32-year-old Crawford of the US, also rumored to be Pacquiao’s possible opponent is mixed martial arts Irish superstar Conor McGregor, who fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017.
A Pacquiao-Mayweather 2 is also a possibility after their first record smashing fight in 2015.
