4 more fights for Manny?

BRISBANE – The buzz on the eve of WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s title defense against Australian challenger Jeff Horn is the fighting Senator will be seeing action in the ring until he’s past 40.

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said yesterday the 38-year-old Filipino ring icon is hitting harder than ever. Twice, Pacquiao decked Mexican sparmate Adrian Young in preparing for Horn. Roach said he can attest to the power which he felt doing the mitts. Roach wouldn’t discount the possibility of Pacquiao scoring his first knockout since halting Miguel Cotto in 2009 when he battles Horn at the Suncorp Stadium here tomorrow afternoon.

“Manny’s just as strong or even stronger than before,” said Roach. “He’s enjoying himself and that’s a good sign. Manny’s back to listening to Shakira’s music in the gym.”

Australian TV boxing host and promoter Peter Maniatis said it’s not just Pacquiao’s raw power where he has the advantage over Horn. “It’s more the speed and the angles that Manny creates in throwing punches,” said Maniatis who’s from Melbourne. “I don’t think Jeff has ever faced an opponent who hits anywhere as hard as Manny.”

Pacquiao is a 4-1 favorite to dispose of Horn and the consensus is the Australian will end up losing inside the distance because he engages and doesn’t retreat. Horn is tailor-made for a counterpuncher like Pacquiao who won’t find it difficult to connect since the Australian likes to come forward. In a toe-to-toe engagement, Pacquiao will walk all over Horn.

The danger is Horn might be able to sneak in the right straight that Juan Manuel Marquez used in knocking out Pacquiao in the sixth round in Las Vegas in 2012. Horn has admitted carefully studying the tapes of Pacquiao’s losses to Marquez, Tim Bradley and Floyd Mayweather to learn how to replicate their success over the Filipino. 

Even as the “Battle of Brisbane” is set to unfold tomorrow, there is talk that Pacquiao could figure in four more fights before hanging up his gloves. First is a bout in Dubai in November with former WBA/IBF superlightweight champion Amir Khan his opponent. Next year, Pacquiao might do two or three fights against WBC/WBO superlightweight titlist Terence Crawford then mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor and finally, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. It’s possible that the Mayweather return bout could take place in early 2019 when he will have turned 42. By then, Pacquiao will be 40.

Khan, 30, has a 31-4 record, with 19 KOs and was formerly a Pacquiao sparmate. In May last year, Khan was stopped in six rounds by Saul Alvarez in Las Vegas. Crawford, 29, totes a 31-0 mark, with 22 KOs and is often likened to Mayweather. McGregor, 28, will make his pro boxing debut against Mayweather at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug. 26. McGregor has compiled an MMA record of 21-3, with 18 KOs and one submission. If McGregor isn’t embarrassed by Mayweather, Pacquiao might take a crack at the tattooed Irishman.

Event producer and talent agent Arnold Vegafria, who took over as Pacquiao’s business manager in 2014, expanded his role by arranging for the telecast of the Horn fight. He negotiated the telecast on free TV over the GMA-7 network and the PPV over Skycable which in turn, provided content to Cignal. Vegafria had only three weeks to reach the sales quota for the fight and delivered. He could’ve arranged for coverage on closed-circuit and movie theaters but decided to focus on cable and free TV. For Pacquiao’s next fight in November, Vegafria will arrange for the full spectrum of media coverage.

Vegafria has over 80 talents under his wing, including Kris Aquino, Ana Julaton and the Semerad twins in the PBA. He holds the Miss World franchise in the Philippines and maintains offices in Los Angeles and Ortigas Venue. His group of companies includes ALV Talent Circuit, ALV Events International and ALV Consultus Advertising.