Reports have recently surfaced that Manny Pacquiao is in talks with the camp of unbeaten American champion Shakur Stevenson for a potential megafight. This pivot, of course, is due to the PacMan’s planned September fight with Floyd Mayweather being scrapped for the time being due to the latter’s legal troubles.
In particular, veteran boxing scribe Lance Pugmire reported that Pacquiao’s and Stevenson’s respective camps are in advanced negotiations for the fight, which will purportedly take place at welterweight. The 147-pound limit has been the Filipino’s staple weight over the past few years already, and it would mean that the American will move up a division to fight the sport’s only eight-division world champion.
How We Got Here
Pacquiao had previously been penciled in to fight fellow boxing icon Floyd Mayweather on September 20 in Las Vegas. However, it has been postponed indefinitely due to what Pacquiao’s handlers described as “a volatile mix of federal lawsuits, scheduling overbooks, and financial gridlock completely surrounding the Mayweather camp.”
The 47-year-old fighting pride of the Philippines, though, wants to keep busy ahead while the Mayweather fight remains tabled. This prompted MP Promotions to look for potential exhibitions for the Filipino legend. It is unclear, however, how the Shakur Stevenson negotiations started, although it appears it has been gaining steady traction.
What Shakur Stevenson Said
Curiously, the 29-year-old Stevenson, who holds a career 25-0 record with 11 KOs, neither confirmed nor denied there are talks for a fight. Instead, he called PacMan “a legend” and expressed a desire to fight him and learn from him in the process.
“Much respect to the legend, Manny Pacquiao,” Stevenson told ES News. “I don’t know. We’ll see. Whatever happens, happens. I have no clue. But much respect to him. If it does happen, I would love to get in the ring and learn from a legend like Manny Pacquiao. That’s all.”
The American’s careful choice of words is certainly interesting, and his refusal to deny anything might mean there is, indeed, behind-the-scenes movement to make Manny Pacquiao vs. Shakur Stevenson. If so, it will be a venerable battle between generations—the old guard vs. the young blood—and a clash of styles, with Pacquiao’s ferocious offense out to challenge Stevenson’s usually stout and at times impenetrable defense.
