Pacquiao Should Pass The Bud

Just don’t even think about it. Puff, puff, pass. Freddie Roach know Bud would smoke his fighter, and do everything humanly possible to have Manny Pacquiao avoid Terence Crawford. This is a fight Crawford has been wanting since at least 2016; obviously for the cachet Pacquiao adds to his résumé, not to mention PPV clout he would add. I’m sitting down watching First Take on ESPN this morning as Stephen A. and Max Kellerman weighed in on this match up and it bothered me. 

No PBC fighter has faced Crawford — and now Pacquiao should? The same financial handlers involved with Crawford are involved with Floyd Mayweather. Why isn’t Floyd being tapped for an unbeaten, star-studded tilt with Bud Crawford (below left)?

Both fighters are black, and Crawford would benefit much more by smoking Floyd, just as Floyd would prove all world for turning Bud into ashes. It’s not even a discussion because Floyd is not Bernard Hopkins and knows better.

This is where boxing rears its ugly head. You have avaricious and greedy promoters doing all they can to maximize profit while ignoring the right thing to do here. Crawford should never have fought Amir Khan in April 2019 — that should have been against former unified super lightweight champion Danny Garcia. What about a Shawn Porter match-up? 

Oh wait… They’re friends. 

Everyone in their right minds know that 2 vs. Errol Spence Jr is THEE FIGHT that the public needs to see, but Bob Arum and Al Haymon have not been able to come together on a deal. Its a shame, because they’re ruining both Crawford and Spence in terms of their primes. Spence drains to welterweight at this point in his career… How much longer should he wait? 

Not that Pacquiao would not be competitive in a fight with Bud. He would be. It’s just that he shouldn’t have to be. Chances are, he left the best athletic version of himself in the ring against Keith Thurman, who’s another fighter Floyd chose to avoid. Manny should not allow himself to be used as a promotional pawn given his King status as of now. Boxing is now set to present a Miguel Cotto vs Juan Manual Marquez exhibition. Great. Pacquiao is at a point in his life to stage advantageous exhibitions.

This is merely piling on. Bud would smoke Manny inside of 10 rounds and finally enjoy respectable PPV numbers for the first time in his career. I just hate the idea of Manny being used to bolster the Crawford machine. If anything, it’s a sales scrap to promote Crawford vs. Spence Jr (below) and its just wrong.

Furthermore, what that fight would prove is the beef between Top Rank and PBC is simply imaginary, for if Pacquiao can fight Crawford while under the PBC banner why can’t the others? 

Manny walk away from this. The Thurman fight most likely soaked up elite level performance from you, and two years later that doesn’t go away. Age permeates for any fighter over time and detracts from any great effort that can be presented. Pass on Bud. Don’t allow yourself and your legacy to be blown into the wind by men who don’t care about your well being. Go out on a high note. Otherwise, you’re just high.