Paddy Donovan wants the Manny Pacquiao fight, and he says his people have already picked up the phone. The 27-year-old Irish welterweight claims his team has been in talks with Pacquiao’s camp about a bout on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card on December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. That makes him the newest name in a line for the Netflix slot opposite the 47-year-old legend, and the line is getting long.
Donovan, a former IBF welterweight title challenger, made the pitch on Total Boxing with Tris Dixon, as reported by Bloody Elbow. According to Donovan, his manager, Keith Sullivan, made the first move.
“Manny Pacquiao is looking for an active opponent. My manager, Keith Sullivan, has reached out to his team,” Donovan said. “They’ve been in talks about making the fight happen. Look, it’s a long shot. It’d be great. Manny Pacquiao’s a phenomenal fighter, a legend of the sport, and it’d be a dream come true to fight Manny.”
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Respect to a guy who calls his own sales pitch a long shot. Most fighters would swear the contract was already in the mail.
Donovan’s problem is Joe Cordina. On Thursday, Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn said his fighter had signed off on a deal. “We’ve agreed to terms to fight Manny Pacquiao but we don’t know if that’s happening, from our side we’ve agreed to do it,” Hearn told the media. MiddleEasy reported that Cordina’s side has settled the purse, though the matchup is still unconfirmed. Cordina, 34, would be fighting a legend in his home country of Wales. He hasn’t fought since last December, when he beat Gabriel Flores Jr. by unanimous decision for the WBO International lightweight title. His only career loss came against Anthony Cacace in 2024.
When the Cordina angle came up in the interview, Donovan countered with his own case. “Yeah, it’s great. But look, I think an Irishman, Paddy Donovan, on the verge of fighting for the world title. Manny Pacquiao probably needing a win to get back in the mix with the world champions. I think it sounds like a great fight,” he said. He added: “Whatever he [Pacquiao] decides, I just want to let him know that I’m free and I’m available and I’d give him a good fight.”
Donovan has stacked back-to-back wins this year after his two straight fights with Lewis Crocker. The Ring’s Mike Coppinger has suggested that Donovan might be the more sensible matchup for Pacquiao at this point.
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The “needing a win” line stings because it’s accurate. Pacquiao hasn’t had his hand raised since his split decision over Keith Thurman in 2019. His last outing was a majority draw with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in July of last year. Since then, the calendar has been a graveyard of plans. Netflix announced a Floyd Mayweather rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas. A fight with Ruslan Provodnikov was booked for this past April before the event was canceled. Shakur Stevenson was in talks, but reports say Netflix didn’t want to pay four mega purses, and Stevenson got priced out. Amir Khan, Jack Catterall and Kell Brook were all on the original shortlist for Cardiff.
My take: Cordina is the obvious pick. He’s already said yes, his purse is reportedly settled, and a Welshman fighting PacMan in front of a Cardiff stadium crowd is the kind of card filler that actually moves tickets. Donovan is the more interesting fight on paper, a younger, active welterweight at Pacquiao’s natural weight, which is exactly why a 47-year-old’s team might prefer the lightweight. Every new name that pops up gives Pacquiao’s side more leverage and the fans less clarity. Somebody needs to sign a contract soon, because December 11 is about seven weeks away.
