Dubai: Any hopes of a money-fight between Filipino boxing ico Manny Pacquiao and the Ukraine’s pound-for-pound king Gennady Golovkin, have been effectively killed due to a difference of opinion of the weight at which the fight will be contested..
According to a report in the Manila Times, Pacquiao, the world’s only eight division champion has said that he will only fight the power-puncher at his preferred weight of 147 pounds.
“As long as it is at 147 pounds,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ok with that. But if it’s above that, it’s too big for me, 154 pounds? It depends I guess, but there are no negotiations right now.”
Although Golovkin’s former trainer Abel Sanchez had said that the middleweight champion can make the lower limit, the prospect of him dropping to as low as 147 are very remote.
Sanchez told World Boxing News recently: “Manny Pacquiao is at the point where he really does not need any of the young champions, so that is a big step.
“I think it would be difficult to make the weight comfortably. And if there is a rehydration limit, that makes it more difficult for Golovkin. “Having to drain himself to make 154. Plus being drained and sluggish because of weight loss, could that be a problem and with Manny’s hand speed.” He added.
“Manny Pacquiao is a small fighter. I believe he started as a flyweight, so the size difference would make a difference.”
