Manny Pacquiao is headed for the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua undercard, according to a report Tuesday from boxing reporter Faz, who posted on X that Netflix still owes the Filipino legend a fight after his planned rematch with Floyd Mayweather at the Sphere fell apart.
Faz said he had reported the deal once before, then pulled it at the request of someone close to the situation. On October 13 he wrote that he’d been cleared to run it again: “I have now been given the green light to report that Manny WILL be on the card.” Bloody Elbow picked up the report the same day.
The heavyweight fight itself was only recently made official after months of back-and-forth over where and when it would happen. The week already had one strange wrinkle before Pacquiao’s name came back up. The UFC teased an event on the same date at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, which had fans wondering whether MMA bouts might somehow end up on the same bill.
How Pacquiao got here
His name surfaced soon after Fury vs. Joshua was announced. The first idea was a fight with undefeated Shakur Stevenson, but those talks stalled. The suggestion at the time was that Netflix didn’t want to pay four huge purses on one event. Offers for Amir Khan and Danny Garcia reportedly followed, and then the story went quiet until Tuesday.
Pacquiao is 47. The last time he fought, he challenged Mario Barrios for a world title and walked out with a majority draw, which is a strange and impressive result for a man who first became a world champion before some of his current contemporaries could walk. Bloody Elbow argued he’ll likely want another title shot and a run at becoming one of the oldest champions in boxing history.
Who’s left on the list
No opponent has been confirmed, and the field has already thinned. Khan has shut the door on December, saying he’s interested in Pacquiao but wouldn’t be ready in time.
That leaves a handful of British names. Kell Brook, a 40-year-old former champion, has been the subject of comeback speculation, and a Pacquiao fight would be one way to do it. Jack Catterall holds a title at 147 pounds, which would hand Pacquiao the championship opportunity he seems to want on a card that Netflix may be building around UK fighters. Eddie Hearn of Matchroom has pitched Joe Cordina, though that one would require the two sides to meet somewhere in the middle on weight. Cordina, a Welshman, has said he hopes to fight in his home city.
My quick take: Catterall is the fight that makes sense. Brook at 40 against Pacquiao at 47 feels like a nostalgia booking more than a contest, and the Cordina weight question could eat up weeks this card doesn’t have. Pacquiao drew with a reigning champion in his last outing. He’s earned the right to ask for a belt again, and Catterall is the one sitting there at 147 holding one.
