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‘I Want a Real Fight’: Manny Pacquiao Reveals Why He’s Fighting Errol Spence Jr.

Published 07/12/2021, 9:30 AM EDT

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Eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has achieved it all in boxing. He doesn’t necessarily need to fight Errol Spence Jr. at the age of 42. However, ‘Pac-Man’ has still accepted this challenge. Now, he will lock horns with the undefeated WBC/IBF welterweight champion on August 21.

While Pacquiao could have opted to return against any top-tier boxer, ‘Pac-Man’ seemed eager for the toughest challenge. Ahead of the fight, he connected with Errol Spence Jr. in person at the first official press conference and revealed the actual reason for accepting the world title fight.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to pick a not easy fight, but much easier fight than compared to Errol Spence. But I decided to pick Errol Spence because I want to give a good fight to the fans and I want a real fight. I mean, I am a fighter and boxing is my passion,” said Manny Pacquiao.

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While boxers of his age have retired and are competing in exhibition bouts, Pacquiao is still active. Following his last win against Keith Thurman in 2019, Pacquiao won the WBA world title. However, inactivity cost him the title as WBA stripped him of the belt.

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Nevertheless, the upcoming fight will see three 147 lbs world titles go up for grabs. Besides Errol Spence Jr’s WBC and IBF belt, the vacant Ring title will be up for grabs. Hence, former WBA titlist, Manny Pacquiao, can bag three belts on winning the showdown.

Can Manny Pacquiao vanquish Errol Spence Jr?

Despite having some disadvantages in height and youth, Pacquiao has the expertise that can exceed ‘The Truth’. Furthermore, Pacquiao’s pace and power can play a significant role. However, as Errol Spence Jr. is a southpaw hitter, he can bring in something new against Pacquiao who hasn’t shared the ring with a lefty for a while.

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The undefeated welterweight champion has all the tools that validate him as a top-tier name in the division. Hence, he would provide serious competition from his end. Although Manny Pacquiao can rightly be the winner, it would need sheer in-ring prowess from the Filipino star.

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However, based on his comments, he seems up for a proper fight. And a pre-fight analysis would certainly lead the boxing world to believe that it will indeed be a real fight.

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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