Pacquiao, Broner to make fight official with 2-city US press tour

MANILA, Philippines -- WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is set to embark on a two-city press tour in the US next week most likely to announce his fight with Adrien Broner.

Instead of making multiple stops, Pacquiao and Broner are scheduled to hold a bicoastal press tour in New York and Los Angeles on November 19 and 20, respectively (November 20 and 21 Manila time).

The New York press conference will be held at Gotham Hall in Manhattan, while the Los Angeles stop will happen the following day at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.

Pacquiao and Broner will fight sometime in January next year, with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas a strong contender as venue.

The Filipino icon will put in line the title he won from Lucas Matthysse last July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Broner bout will be his first since aligning with influential boxing manager Al Haymon, who also advises Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If he gets past Broner, Pacquiao will likely be headed to a rematch with Mayweather, who defeated him in their megabuck showdown in 2015.

Broner, 29, has held titles at junior lightweight (130 pounds), lightweight (135), light welterweight (140) and welterweight (147). He sports a record of 33-3-1, with 24 knockouts.

The Cincinnati, Ohio-based fighter, nicknamed "The Problem," last fought in April this year, a majority draw against previous Pacquiao victim Jessie Vargas.