Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, potentially facing Conor Benn in the summer, has been labeled a fifty-fifty fight by promoter Eddie Hearn.
Pacquiao spoke to Turki Alalshikh in Saudi Arabia about the prospect of trading blows with Benn as Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou. The eight-weight champion was a guest of honor for the event, which saw Joshua score a big victory for boxing over MMA.
One of the most significant controversies from the week is the fact Pacquiao was ushered into a head-to-head with Benn. Many believe Pacquiao should not be returning to professional fighting after three years away. The 45-year-old hasn’t won a fight in five years.
That last triumph against Keith Thurman, which WBN witnessed at ringside, would have been an excellent way for Pacquiao to bow out of the sport. However, he attempted to defend the belt against Errol Spence and lost another two years of his career due to constant delays.
Eventually, the former Congressman battled Yordenis Ugas instead. He lost his title and looked like a shell of his former self.
Despite this, Matchroom boss Hearn sees the aged superstar as an ideal foe to raise his fighter’s profile. Benn saw his reputation take a significant knock due to two failed drug tests.
An appeal against the removal of his suspension by UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control, who don’t believe Benn should be fighting, remains ongoing.
Manny Pacquiao vs Conor Benn ‘is 50-50’
Should Hearn get the verdict he wants in the coming days, he hopes to stage Pacquiao vs Benn in the former’s hometown of London.
“Listen, we all want that fight. Manny flew in for talks and to watch the show in Saudi Arabia, so that’s what we’d like to do,” Hearn told IFLTV.
“We’re waiting for the Conor Benn announcement from the appeal. We were told it was going to be in two weeks. It’s nearly four weeks, so we’ll hear about that appeal any day.
“But it’s not in our hands. It’s in the hands of the Board. Their decision will determine where Conor Benn’s next fight will be because, quite frankly, we could do Conor Benn versus Pacquiao in a stadium in London.”
In addition, asked how he sees the fight, ever the salesman, Hearn added: “It’s a fight I like; I have seen people say, ‘Oh, he’s not the Manny Pacquiao of old’ – thank God for that. I think it’s a 50-50 fight at this stage.”
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