MANILA – Newly-crowned WBA world super welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao won’t be stepping in the ring again this year. He plans to have his next bout in January 2020.
In a post-match interview on Sunday, the eight-division world boxing champion said he hopes to face the winner of the Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter unification bout slated this Sept. 28.
Spence (25-0-0, 21 KOs) holds the IBF world welterweight championship while Pacquiao’s former sparring partner Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) was the current WBC world welterweight champion.
“Yeah, I hope to meet the winner of that Spence-Porter fight,” Pacquiao said. “My next fight is probably next year. After that I am going back to the Philippines to work in the Senate.”
Pacquiao wanted to take a break from boxing for the rest of the year after being heavily hurt in his tough victory against Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“He’s heavy-handed. Keith is like (Antonio) Margarito,” said Pacquiao, who wore dark sunglasses to hide the heavy swelling on his face. “I think it’s because he’s too big for me. That’s why I felt like he’s heavy-handed.”
Added the Filipino ring icon: “Keith is a very good fighter. You can never underestimate him. I believe he has a great future coming his way.”/PN
