Will Manny Pacquiao Fight Floyd Mayweather Or Vasyl Lomachenko Next?

Will Manny Pacquiao Fight Floyd Mayweather Or Vasyl Lomachenko Next?

Will Manny Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather or Vasyl Lomachenko next?

It is certainly a possibility.

Pacquiao, 40, surprised a lot of people last month when he defeated Keith Thurman by way of decision in Las Vegas.

Critics said that Thurman would be too much for the Filipino star and prove to be a huge step up in competition.

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Despite the doubts, Pacquiao looked very dominant in the showing and essentially cruised to victory.

To the fans I fight for, the media who cover me, the friends and family who support me, and to @KeithFThurmanJr, who accepted my challenge, Saturday night was an honor and privilege. I would also like to thank @premierboxing, @FOXSports, & @MGMGrand for a great event. God Bless. pic.twitter.com/yM91F5mnE4

— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) July 22, 2019

That led many to speculate about what would come next.

Mayweather’s name will obviously be linked to Pacquiao’s until the end of time.

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The pair famously fought back in 2015 in what many dubbed ‘The Fight Of The Century.’

Mayweather won the bout, but many believed that it wasn’t in as dominant of fashion as he would have liked.

Since then, Mayweather has made it a point to fight non-boxers for big paydays, while Pacquiao has experienced something of a career resurgence going up against legitimate competition.

Is a rematch between the two in the cards?

Perhaps.

But another potential match-up has captured the hearts and minds of fans.

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Lomachenko, 31, is coming off an impressive win over Luke Campbell.

Now many are asking if it is time for him to step up against a more recognizable opponent.

Lomachenko recently indicated that his “dream” fight would be against Mayweather.

But since Mayweather is unlikely to ever risk his perfect record against someone like Lomachenko, Pacquiao may actually be the more probable foe – despite the obvious issues.

When pressed about a potential fight against Pacquiao, Lomachenko chuckled and shook his head, indicating he did not think it was possible.

“Pacquiao, again, a man who is going to do what Henry Armstrong did,” Bob Arum said.

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“Fight simultaneously in three different weight divisions. That’s a dream for Vasyl Lomachenko,” he continued.

“I would love to see that fight (Pacquiao vs. Lomachenko),” Arum added.

“I don’t think Manny (Pacquiao) can get down to 135. But probably we’d do that fight at a catch-weight of let’s say 138.”

Will Pacquiao versus Lomachenko ultimately come together?

It’s hard to say. There appear to be a lot of obstacles standing in the way at the moment.

Then again, we said the same thing about Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Where there’s a will and a big payday for all involved, there’s a way.

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Michael Kyaw

Michael Kyaw, initially a PR Manager, built up a valuable network of connections in the sports world that he then utilized to become an influential sports business reporter. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, Fansided, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.