Mikey Garcia stands on the verge of landing a mega-battle with Manny Pacquiao in the spring of 2021 after a two-fight deal fell apart in 2020.
The multi-weight champion was close to an agreement with Pacquaio to trade blows in a saga double last year until coronavirus killed the deal.
Into 2021, Garcia is a clear favorite ahead of Terence Crawford to secure Manny Pacquiao’s signature on a contract.
If the encounter gets announced, the Californian has promised to put more than just his record on the line.
“I won’t bet my whole purse. But I’ll bet a million dollars, two million dollars maybe,” said Garcia to Elie Seckbach. “I wouldn’t be my whole purse.
“What if I hurt my hand or I fall, or something stupid like that. You never know. But if I’m getting a good purse, a big purse that I expect to get, I’m down to bet at least a million bucks.
Seckbach also commented to Garcia about the Pacquiao rumors, which he says was a two-fight deal before the pandemic struck.
“If I was getting a two-fight deal, was I going to bet on myself? – Of course, I was,” he added.
Now, Garcia is just waiting to hear back on whether or not an expected May clash in Las Vegas will go ahead. The bout could be Pacquiao’s last ever in Nevada.
“It’s not official, but his team and himself, they like the fight. It makes sense, and it’s the best fight that I can also get.
“If he’s on board, then I’m on board. We should get everything else, y’know, straightened out. That’s the thing.”
MANNY PACQUIAO
As World Boxing News reported earlier this week, 2021 could be Pacquiao’s final year of competing professionally.
In May or June, Pacquiao’s expected Las Vegas farewell could be followed by a career swansong in the Philippines a few months later.
Whether Crawford would still be in the frame for that event remains a mystery due to the venue being in Pacquiao’s homeland.
If Crawford pushes for a United States venue, and the offer proves too lucrative for Pacquiao to turn down, that may well be the only way boxing fans will see Pacquiao compete in 2022.
Meanwhile, we await movement on the potential Garcia deal. Something should come from Paradigm Sports in the next few days.
Follow WBN us on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
