Report- Long Shot Pacquiao-Crawford Fight Now Completely Dead

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Hall of Famer Manny Pacquaio has had another proposed fight/opponent for his now nearly two year ring return scrapped. This time it’s his proposed World Welterweight Title showdown with WBO champ, Terence Crawford, that was being discussed, but now is no longer viable.

The Athletic’s Mike Coppinger reported on social media Friday night that he’s learned that Crawford never formally agreed to fight the seven division World Champ and now, the proposed site of the U.A.E. and the money people involved cannot make it happen either,

Sources: The proposed Manny Pacquiao-Terence Crawford welterweight title fight, pegged for June 5, appears all but dead after the funding from Abu Dhabi investors never came through. Crawford, at long last, would have finally landed an elite opponent. Now the wait continues https://t.co/cgU2b97Q58

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) April 24, 2021

As we wrote previously, the Pacquiao-Crawford was only theoretical since last Winter, when Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing began to talk repeatedly about the frustrations and delays with it.

After Crawford’s last bout, a ho-hum title defense ending in a 4th round TKO with England’s Kell Brook in November, promoter Arum talked openly about wanting Pac-man to be his fighter’s next bout.

That’s because there’s been some serious discontent from the 33 year old unbeaten Crawford about his opponents and lack of a big time PPV style fight, as his deal with Top Rank Boxing is running out later this year.

Arum said at the time,

“The money was there. It had been committed. It was a fight that was going to take place (last Winter) in a country in the Mid-East (reportedly Qatar). And then the Minister of Health in that country said ‘you can’t do it,’ because I can’t guarantee that we’ll allow spectators (due to Covid 19 increasing worldwide).

That has still been the case, including the WBO Jr. Lightweight Title fight won by Jamel Herring over Carl Frampton in Dubai last month, which had only small limited fans in attendance.

Meanwhile, the wait continues for when we will see the legendary Pacquiao, who’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, fight again?

We have reported from two different sources within Premier Boxing Champions and with understanding of Pacquiao’s original deal with them over two years ago, that Pacquiao signed a two fight promotional deal with them and at least one more fight, is their option.

Pacquiao is 62-7-2 and he defeated Adrian Broner by decision in the first fight of that deal in January of 2019. He then took the WBA World Welterweight title off Keith Thurman with a stirring 12 round performance in July of that year.

However, due to the Covid 19 pandemic beginning in March of 2020, he hasn’t fought now in approaching two years. And, you have to wonder at 42 years of age what he truly has left, especially if he gets in with someone of Crawford’s or Unified 147 lb. champ Errol Spence’s caliber.

There’s been speculation that a Pacquiao-Thurman fight would happen, once fans could be allowed to attend. However, months have gone by without the rematch materializing.

So, it’s anyone’s guest against what opponent, and where he will fight next?

It just now confirmed, that his highly unlikely proposed fight with Crawford won’t be it.