Who will win the upcoming welterweight championship contest between legend Manny Pacquiao and the unified IBF/WBC welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr?
The fight will happen on August 21, 2021, and it will be televised on Fox PPV. Pacquiao is technically still the WBA “champion in recess” – whatever the hell that even means – but Pacquiao never lost the WBA trinket in the ring, and regardless, this is undoubtedly one of the very best welterweight fights that can be made at this time.
After the funding failed to materialize for a negotiated bout between Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, Pacquiao was able to secure a title fight with the other top talent at 147 in Spence. We last saw Spence in action last December when he successfully defended his unified championship with a 12 round unanimous decision victory against Danny Garcia. For Spence that was the first fight he had since suffering injuries in a serious car accident in 2019.
The last time we saw Pacquiao fight was way back in July of 2019, when he had a turn back the clock type of performance to win the WBA welterweight title against Keith Thurman. With the victory, Pacquiao became the oldest boxer to win a major world title at welterweight, and he likewise became the first boxer to become a 4 time welterweight champion. So by the time the match with Spence takes place, it will have been more than 25 months since Pacquiao last fought, and more concerning still, Pacquiao is now 42 years old, which is ancient for welterweights.
But despite Pacquiao’s advanced age, he still one of the very best welterweights competing today, along with Spence Jr and Crawford. Whoever wins this fight will be widely (and rightly) regarded as the best welterweight boxer in the world today. So who will win? Errol Spence Jr or Manny Pac-Man Pacquiao?
This edition of Rummy’s Corner will provide a quick preview of the upcoming welterweight championship contest between Errol Spence Jr and Manny Pacquiao.