Manny Pacquiao Accused Of Picking Easy Fights By Welterweight Challenger
KEY POINTS
- Mikey Garcia talked about Manny Pacquiao’s apparent interest in taking on Conor McGregor and Ryan Garcia
- Garcia respects Pacquiao but thinks he is picking easier opponents
- The Filipino boxer is also being linked to a fight with Terence Crawford
One of Manny Pacquiao’s challengers thinks he doesn’t want to take a major risk in his next fight.
Despite his age, Pacquiao is still a commodity in his respective division. To date, a number of world champions are still chasing the Filipino boxing legend, including lineal junior welterweight champ Mikey Garcia.
Sharing his thoughts on Pacquiao’s interest in fighting UFC star Conor McGregor and lightweight boxing sensation Ryan Garcia, the California native has begun to think that the world’s only eight-division titlist is picking easier opponents over world-class welterweights like him.
“Everybody would like to fight [Manny] Pacquiao,” Mikey recently told Little Giant Boxing. “Is it going to happen? I don’t know. It was supposed to happen. Towards the end of the year, I heard him talking about Conor McGregor. Then he started talking about Ryan Garcia. I haven’t talked to him. From that, it tells me that Manny is looking for a low-risk, high reward type of fight.”
“He’s obviously earned to call the shots,” he continued. “He’s done it all in boxing. There’s nothing left for him to prove or claim. If he wants to go out and retire on a big event because these guys [McGregor and Ryan] would make it a big event and have the least amount of risk, so be it. [But] If he’s looking for a real fight, a challenging fight, then he would have to look at actual welterweight fighters.”
Mikey has long been touted as Pacquiao’s next opponent, with the 42-year-old’s longtime trainer Freddie Roach previously confirming that the fight was already being discussed. Apparently, nothing has changed in Mikey’s stance on the said fight, insisting that it will all depend on Pacquiao.
“Everybody would like to see Manny fight a big fight and challenge himself,” the 33-year-old pointed out. “So if he fights someone like Ryan, f--- it, he’s earned it. I would fight him, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to Manny.”
![Mikey Garcia](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/2706736/mikey-garcia.jpg?w=594&f=d9a64bff6be89306eb794ef678e2d3f0)
Apart from Mikey, Pacquiao is also linked to a megafight with undefeated welterweight champ Terence Crawford.
According to Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum, he knows his fighter also wants Pacquiao because of the money he’s about to make from the fight.
“There’s also Manny Pacquiao who has said that he wants to fight Terence Crawford,” Arum told Fighthype.com. “Let’s see if that can happen. But as far as Crawford is concerned, he’s in a good position. Well, obviously Manny because there’s more money for Crawford in the Manny fight.”
However, Pacquiao has insisted that he is looking to take home a bigger purse from the Crawford fight, revealing, “We told Bob [Arum] I get $40 million and Crawford gets $10 million. I will fight anybody. You know me, I don’t back away from any challenge. Bring ‘em on!”
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