Arum: Jr WBOchamp vs Manny

MANILA, Philippines - Promoter Bob Arum is not looking at one but two more fights for Manny Pacquiao, starting off this October if, when and once the retired Filipino boxer settles down in his new role as a senator.

Pacquiao announced his retirement after beating Timothy Bradley in their rubber match last April. Then he was elected senator a month after, and will officially mark his first day in his new office on July 1.

Pacquiao has learned to master the art of time management even when he was an active boxer and congressman in his home province.

Once Pacquiao feels the itch and decides to fight again, Arum sees no problem.

“Well we gotta see. If he will fight this year, then he will fight next year. We are thinking about him fighting in October if he wants to fight,” Arum told www.boxingscene.com.

The chief of Top Rank Promotions, this early, is looking at potential opponents for the 37-year-old Pacquiao, and they include rising star and reigning WBO junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine.

The 28-year-old Lomachenko is a two-time Olympic and World Amateur champion, and is slowly taking the sport by storm. A couple of weeks ago, he destroyed Roman Martinez of Puerto Rico in five rounds for a 7-1 record with four knockouts.

“Once I get the opponent that I am working on – we are working on opponents and once I get that, I will fly over to the Philippines and he will see if his schedule in the Senate allows him to train for a fight and participate in a fight,” added Arum.

“I know he wants to continue fighting but the impediment is how labor intensive his work as a Filipino senator is and he is not going to really know that for another week or so. He was just sworn in as a senator yesterday (Thursday),” he said.

Even before he announced his retirement after posting his 58th win against six defeats and two draws, the eight-division world champion said he will come out of retirement if it’s for a rematch with American Floyd Mayweather Jr., who is also retired.

But Mayweather had said many times he’s no longer interested in a rematch with Pacquiao and would rather face UFC superstar Connor McGregor if ever he decides to fight again.

Arum said a fight with Lomachenko may entice Pacquiao to fight again. It’s a fight that should sell greater than any other fight out there today.

Arum said Pacquiao vs Lomachenko may happen in 2017.

“Let me tell you, by the way he (Lomachenko) is going, if Manny continues to fight, sometime next year I wouldn’t hesitate to match Lomachenko against Pacquiao. That would be a hell of a fight,” said Arum.