Oscar Valdez believes that boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is crazy for wanting to take on Gennady Golovkin, but respects him as a fighter. Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) would be moving up two weight classes to challenge IBF middleweight champion Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) for his belt.
Pacquiao already beat junior middleweight Antonio Margarito in 2010, and he handled his size with ease. The Filipino star had too much speed for the slower Margarito, who is about as fast as Golovkin. If Pacquiao could do that to Margarito, he may do the same to GGG.
If Pacquiao, 41, wins, he’ll capture his ninth division world title, and he’ll go down in history as perhaps the more celebrated fighter that ever lived. It’s a win-win situation for Manny, as even if he loses to GGG, he’ll receive respect from boxing fans for taking the risk in the first place.
After what Golovkin did to welterweight Kell Brook when he dared to be celebrated by moving up to 160 to face GGG in 2016, Pacquiao might want to think twice about this match. Golovkin shattered Brook’s right orbital bone in the second round, and his career has never been the same.
“Everybody wants to fight Pacquiao. Pacquiao chooses who he wants to fight. He wants to fight Golovkin, he’s crazy,” said Oscar Valdez to Fighthub. “He’s a legend. Pacquiao, he’s just a legend.
The money Pacquiao can make against Golovkin would dwarf what he can get facing the welterweights in his division. Pacquiao’s best options for paydays at 147 are Errol Spence Jr, Terence Crawford, and Keith Thurman.
The 43-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr doesn’t want any of that smoke from Pacquiao despite having beaten him in 2015.
This story was filed by Jeff Aronow.
