Pacquiao Vs. Garcia Showdown Allegedly Only Exhibition; PPV Revenue Potential Questioned

With UFC star Conor McGregor left to pick up the pieces from his end in the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene, the much-awaited boxing match with Manny Pacquiao may have to wait.

However, there is a new player in the mix--interim WBC lightweight champion Ryan Garcia.

“KingRy” had previously aired that he wanted to share the ring with the Filipino boxing icon. He appears to be a few steps away from realizing that dream when Garcia posted a mock poster of him and Pacquiao on Instagram.

It was captioned: “A dream turned reality. It’s an honor to share the ring with Manny Pacquiao. I will always respect what you did in and out [of] the ring. Here’s to the best man winning.”

It appears that preliminary discussions were made. However, the latest updates on the Pacquiao vs. Garcia showdown suggest that the fight will be nothing more than an exhibition fight.

This means that the WBA welterweight title will not be on the line and “KingRy” won’t have to worry about suffering his first defeat, Boxing News 24 reported.

If it comes to fruition, it means that Garcia would technically take the place of McGregor. Details such as the pay-per-view rates, number of rounds, date and location have yet to be known.

But of those, the amount that would be charged to viewers of the event is something that will be interesting.

Seeing two active boxers in an exhibition fight may not prove profitable. However, if one considers the following of Pacquiao and Garcia, the chances of fans paying to see the two get it on even in a glorified sparring session could still be lucrative.

Right now, nothing is set in stone. There are claims that Pacquiao has allegedly knocked out rumors of a fight with Garcia. However, this could be taken differently.

Preliminary discussions are underway and the best thing to do for now is probably to see if a Pacquiao vs. Garcia fight will become official.