Manny Pacquiao makes his big move and more.
- PacBC – First, Filipino living legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao has reportedly signed on with power manager Al Haymon, making him a part of the PBC stable heading into their rights deals with FOX and Showtime. This is major news in the sport, but I will note that it has not been mentioned by Dan Rafael. This is strange given Rafael’s close relationship with Top Rank, the outfit Pacquiao is more or less leaving. Is it not a done deal? Does Arum want it quiet for now? Does Top Rank still think they have a contract? I don’t have answers to those questions, unfortunately. What I can say is that the PBC roster of welterweights is pretty great and there are plenty of excellent matchups for the 39 year old should he want to pursue them. The lead rumor right now, however, is that he will look to fight Adrien Broner and then rematch Mayweather. It doesn’t sound like we’ll get the ideal matchups against a Spence, Thurman, Porter, or Garcia, but at least they will be possible now assuming this is the real deal. Pacquiao will also reportedly get to showcase some of his MP Promotions fighters as part of this deal on PBC shows as well.
- Warrington-Frampton – In a bit of excellent if predictable news, ESPN+ has picked up the American broadcast rights to Josh Warrington’s highly anticipated December 22nd featherweight title defense against former two division titleholder Carl Frampton. This hardly comes as a surprise given that Frank Warren sold the exclusive rights to his UK shows to the sports giant’s streaming service, but it is nice to have made official anyway. This is a quality, intriguing title fight that should have a quality atmosphere even if it is on technically “neutral” ground in Manchester. I’m sure both Warrington’s and Frampton’s fans will travel well from Leeds and Belfast respectively.
- Goodbye, Anthony – 43 year old longtime major Australian draw and sometimes contender Anthony Mundine has announced that his pending late November beating at the hands of Jeff Horn is officially his cashout from the sport. Okay, maybe that isn’t exactly how he worded it, but the subtext is clear. Assuming Mundine actually retires, the former rugby star leaves an interesting legacy in the sport. While he never made much of a dent internationally, Anthony drummed up a lot of interest in the sport in Australia. He also spent many years in the world title picture at 168 and then 160, winning a belt twice at the larger weight. As he aged he counter intuitively moved down in weight, but he couldn’t find the favorable matchups below 168 to ever get a second belt. Still, he’ll retire with wins over high level domestic Ozzy fighters like Sam Soliman, Danny Green, and Daniel Geale as well as an odd win over a faded Shane Mosley. Mundine had a good run of it no matter how poorly his final fight ends.
- Saunders, pt 2 – Finally, yesterday we discussed Billy Joe Saunders’s failed drug test implications, general classiness, and today there is more. The British gentleman has elected to vacate his WBO title rather than wait to be stripped of it. The upcoming Saunders-Kautondonkwa fight will now be for the full belt. Furthermore, the WBO has recommended that he be suspended six months by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission. Of course, Billy Joe is taking this all in stride. He’s going to sue the MSAC in attempt to recover his lost wages of $2.3 million dollars in purse money. Sue them for what, exactly? For him having a banned substance in his system? Unclear! But he’s says he’s willing to take it all the way to the Supreme Court! I’m sure this will end well. Tongue removed from cheek, Saunders’s and his team’s argument seems to be that the commission’s procedure and interpretation of the rules was off base. I guess we will just have to wait and see where this one ends up.
