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Many people were taken aback when the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr was announced. Many fans expected a battle between Errol Spence Jr and Terrance Crawford, but it did not happen.
Instead, Pacquiao stepped up to fill the gap. Pacquiao, 42, is coming off a two-year hiatus but is eager to return to the ring. Spence is one of the best boxers in the world, pound for pound. What impact would a victory or a defeat have on their legacies? Pacquiao's legacy is already established, and he is a sporting icon. When the time comes, he'll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His accomplishments and CV are outstanding. He holds major and lineal championships in eight different weight divisions (112, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140, 147, and 154). It's not only that he's won in various weight classes, but it's also the quality of opponents he's previously beaten. Being a champion in four separate decades is amazing to witness. That being said, if he loses to Spence and then quits, he is a top 10 all-time great in my view. Some may disagree, but he has a solid case when everything is said and done. However, if Pacquiao wins, we will have to assess him at a higher level. He'll be considered one of the best fighters of all time, on par with Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Robert Duran, and Henry Armstrong. Pacquiao stands to benefit in this case. Spence's legacy is at risk. Spence is unbeaten and the number one welterweight in the world. Spence is also a huge welterweight who, at the age of 31, is at the top of his game. There is no question about why Spence will be the favorite in the battle. Pacquiao's greatest days are behind him, but he still fights well. Spence, on the other hand, has nothing to lose in this battle and must win big. Spence can't simply win a decision; he has to win by stoppage. There will be a lot of criticism leveled at Spence if he wins by decision. Fans will wonder why Spence (the younger man) was unable to halt Pacquiao (the older guy). Even if Spence will be pleased with a judgment based on points, the public will not be. People will be even more impressed by Pacquiao's ability to go the distance with Spence. If Spence defeats Pacquiao, it will be a formal passing of the torch. Spence will have a huge victory against a famous star and become more well-known. Spence will be the next great star, and he will have bragging rights. Spence should win this fight. I'm leaning toward a majority decision for Spence. Pacquiao will still perform well and give Errol a run for his money in the bout, in my opinion. Spence's recent victories against Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Mikey Garcia all went the distance. Remember, Mikey Garcia was a smaller man going up in weight, yet he was able to push Spence to the limit. Manny, I'm sure, has enough money to do the same. I would not rule Pacquiao out of the bout. Throughout his career, he has outperformed the odds. Pacquiao most recently defeated Keith Thurman at the age of 40, which was a major achievement for him. source article
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Spence Jr Promises To KO Pacquiao Into Retirement, Fight To Have VADA Testing, No Rematch Clause6/10/2021 Errol Spence Jr., like many of Manny Pacquiao's former opponents, is guaranteeing that his forthcoming Aug. 21 battle against the Filipino fighter would be the swan song of the future Hall of Fame boxer's storied career.
“I'm prepping my body to go into training camp mode and do the best that I can, to get into the greatest condition that I can, and to be as powerful as I can, to knock out Manny Pacquiao and send him off into retirement,” Spence told Barbershop Conversations. The WBC and IBF welterweight champion Spence (27-0, 21 KOS) also said that the Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) battle will undergo VADA testing, and there will be no rematch clause in the contract. “I believe he's going to become president of the Philippines, or something like that,” Spence remarked, perhaps hinting to Pacquiao's aspirations after the June fight. “I anticipate the same Manny Pacquiao that we get every time. He'll come to fight, and I'll absolutely come to fight. I'll be more stronger and physically better than in my last bout [a unanimous decision victory over Danny Garcia in December]. If [Pacquiao] is looking at [the Garcia fight film], he should also be looking at the Chris Algieri, Lamont Peterson, and Kell Brook fights. If he's searching for flaws in the last bout, he'll be in big trouble.” The 31-year-old southpaw Spence said that he was training for a bout with Yordenis Ugas, but Pacquiao gained priority after it was established that a deal could be reached with the senator. "Ugas was in the game. If I didn't get the Pacquiao fight, I planned to face Ugas for the WBA [welterweight belt]. “Now that I've got the Pacquiao fight, [the Ugas bout] is on the backburner,” Spence said. Pacquiao hasn't fought since defeating Keith Thuman in a split decision on July 20, 2019. During the epidemic, boxing's only eight-division champion was connected to matches with Mikey Garcia, Ryan Garcia, Conor McGregor, and Terence Crawford. Spence ultimately won the prize fight against Pacquiao on FOX Sports pay-per-view at a yet-to-be-announced site in Las Vegas. |