DALLAS — This is the fight you dream about. A fight you need to define your legacy. Errol Spence vs. Manny Pacquiao on August 21 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao announced the fight on social media on Friday. A venue hasn’t been finalized but this is probably one of the more anticipated fights of the year.
For Pacquiao, his legacy is secure. A Hall of Fame ceremony awaits him in upstate New York when he decides to retire.
Spence needs this. Wants this. Is all about this.
This is a career-defining fight for the DeSoto, Texas, welterweight who holds the WBC and IBF belts. Spence has sought accreditation against bigger opponents in the welterweight division only to be denied. Terence Crawford, the WBO welterweight champion, and a man considered his equal, has attended some of Spence’s fights but for whatever reason can’t get into the ring with him.
Canelo Alvarez, the WBO, WBA and WBC 168-pound champion, is the current pay-per-view box office king. He alone drew an indoor boxing record crowd of 73,126 at AT&T Stadium on May 8.
Spence would like to fight him, but Alvarez is interested in unifying the 168-pound division against a fighter with little name recognition (Caleb Plant).
So Spence will do the next best thing, fight Pacquiao, the last of the great fighters, still going strong at 42. Pacquiao last fought in 2019, knocking off the challenge of the talented Keith Thurman, to win the WBA welterweight title. Thurman almost 10 years younger than Pacquiao had a chance to send him into retirement only to lose by split decision.
For months, Spence sought Pacquiao with the understanding by beating him a career reaches another level in boxing.
“I think I’m excited,” Spence trainer Derrick James said. “This is a legacy fight for Errol. This is beautiful for his career. Being a Dallas kid, we don’t remember (Hall of Famer) Curtis Cokes but this is a big fight for a local fighter. Few fighters have been fighting at the (high) level of competition like Pacquiao. Pac is like (Bernard Hopkins), a 50-year old beating 20 somethings. You can’t take him soft. You got to focus.”
If Spence wins this fight, he probably sends Pacquiao into retirement, even though there’s no such thing as that anymore in boxing. A victory also means there are no more excuses for Crawford avoiding Spence. Alvarez would also be placed on noticed that a mega fight with Spence should occur.
It’s something to ponder in 2022.
The time to elevate his career is now for Spence and he’s picked the perfect opponent to do it against.
