Terence Crawford proves he is the man for Manny Pacquiao’s reported comeback

Just a few months after what he claimed would be his final boxing fight, Manny Pacquiao’s name is once again in the headlines as a return bout seems to be on the cards before the year is even out.

Pacquiao won his third fight versus Timothy Bradley in an underwhelming end to a certain-Hall-of-Fame career which saw the Filipino icon win world titles at an unprecedented eight weight classes. Of course, this being boxing, many doubted it was indeed the end. And Manny’s promoter Bob Arum last week appeared to confirm just that.

“Manny wants to come back,” Arum told ESPN. “The problem is he can only come back if it doesn’t interfere with his senate duties.

"He now has given us the go-ahead to shop for a venue and an opponent and see if we can do it on a particular date or dates,” Arum added.

“We’ve been trying to work out a date that doesn’t interfere with his senatorial responsibilities and his ability to train.”

Reinforcing the belief that Pacquiao hasn’t yet properly hung up his gloves, his advisor Michael Koncz said he’s working with both Arum and Pacquiao on fight plans.

“Manny’s primary concern and obligation is to fulfill his senatorial duties,” Koncz said.

“But he misses boxing. He misses the training. He misses being in the gym. You can see when he trains it’s like a stress reliever for him.

"So I am working with Bob and Manny is working closely with the senate president to make sure the dates are OK. We are doing this properly.”

With Pacquiao’s insistence on stretching out the Bradley series way beyond the public’s threshold, combined with the fact that welterweight boxing is experiencing a decline at present, it’s hard to imagine a comeback fight that would capture the imagination of a large audience - particularly as his ‘retirement’ is set to be so brief, many active boxers will have had more downtime between bouts in 2016 than ‘Pac-Man’.

One man who could step up in the autumn, however, is Terence Crawford. The 28-year-old extended his unbeaten professional record to 29-0 (20 KOs) when he outclassed Viktor Postol on Saturday to win by unanimous decision and become the lineal light-welterweight kingpin, adding the WBC and The Ring belts to his WBO title.

It made several experts and insiders wonder if he had done enough to earn a big payday versus Pacquiao, and though promoters have a tendency to reserve their least-credible statements for immediately after a fight night, Arum’s responses to questions about a possible showdown between the two were at the very least encouraging.

“I’ve talked to Manny and he’s willing to give Terence the opportunity. Manny has already said Yes,” Arum said.

After his win at the weekend, Crawford confirmed that if he fights Pacquiao it will be in the 140 pound weight he has made his turf in recent years.

It has been reported by media outlets Stateside that Pacquiao would be fine with the move down one weight category, back to his more natural fighting weight and one of the eight he has dominated in the past.

Crawford, however, says there’s plenty of time for this bout to become a reality and he’s in no rush.

“It will be at 140, definitely,” Crawford said. “But I’m going on vacation right now. We’re not worried about Manny Pacquiao right now.”

It’s fair to say that this pairing would be the best chance for Pacquiao’s short-lived departure from boxing to avoid being met by a widespread chorus of groans and apathy.

Of course, his fanbase is so sizeable and devoted to their idol that any bout would swell his bank account handsomely. But if Manny’s attempt to return for an ‘Indian summer’ is to be taken seriously, it’s in his best interests to make a real go of it rather than fighting a Bradley or a Juan Manuel Marquez for the billionth time.