Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Alex Milne

Manny Pacquiao demands $40m purse for next world title fight

Manny Pacquiao says he wants a fee of $40million (£30m) to take on Terence Crawford this year.

The Filipino star has not returned to the ring since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019.

But his party have been in negotiations with Crawford over a potential bout in the Middle East in the near future.

The 42-year-old revealed he has spoken to Crawford's promoter Bob Arum about the prospect of the two facing off.

And in an interview with the Daily Tribune Pacquiao named the eye-watering price he is demanding to make it happen.

"I like to fight somebody who has a title," he said. "We told Bob I get $40million (£30m) and Crawford gets $10million (£7m).

Manny Pacquiao's last fight was a stunning win against Keith Thurman in 2019 (Getty Images)

"I will fight anybody. You know me, I don't back away from any challenge. Bring them on!"

Pacquiao was recently stripped of his WBA belt due to inactivity, and appears desperate to make a comeback.

There was also speculation he could face MMA star Conor McGregor - but the Irishman's defeat to Dustin Poirier last month appears to have dented the prospect of this happening.

Pacquiao's promoter Sean Gibbons said on the matter: "Very unfortunate, it looked like Conor looked past Dustin and got knocked out.

Pacquiao is lining up a fight against Terence Crawford (Top Rank via Getty Images)

"Maybe he had the Senator on his mind. I think the demand for the fight is not there presently.

"Conor has some business to clean up and handle in the UFC. It's a bummer, it could have been fun for as long as it lasted and I know leg kicks would have made a world of difference."

Pacquiao could be set to lose tens of millions of dollars as a result of McGregor's defeat as he misses out on a potential huge pay-day.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.