Fans of boxing legend, Manny Pacquiao are already gearing up for his next fight, just weeks after scratching the zero-loss record of Mexican boxer, Jessie Vargas and winning back the WBO welterweight belt. While many are hoping for another "Fight of the Century" through a rematch with Floyd Mayweateher Jr, boxing promoter Bob Arum is yet to confirm if this dream match will ever happen. On a more realistic note, Pacquiao who is expected to have two boxing matches in 2017 can face a tough opponent next year in the person of Vasyl Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold holder and a super featherweight champion.
According to a Yahoo article, the possibility of a Pacquiao-Lomachenko fight was confirmed by Bob Arum himself during the press conference after the Pacquiao-Vargas fight last Nov. 5. The boxing champion from the Philippines was not able to air his thoughts about his possible new opponent as he was busy getting first-aid medication for the wounds he got during the match while the conference is going on. Nevertheless, there is a big chance that Vasyl Lomachenko will indeed face Manny Pacquiao in the ring next year since Arum dropped the information again during the Lomachenko's fight with Nicholas Walters in Las Vegas.
Congratulations to @mannypacquiao @Jessie_vargasJV for successfully completing @Vada_Testing again! #cleansport @trboxing @trboxeo
— Vada-Testing.org (@Vada_Testing) November 24, 2016
Moreover, Vasyl Lomachenko who has a record of six wins (four are knockout victories) and 1 loss, expressed interest to meet 37-year old Manny Pacquiao in the ring in 2017 as published in Boxing Scene. The 28-year old fighter though has to shed a few pounds for the fight to push through.
Likewise, Bob Arum thinks a Pacquiao-Lomachenko bout would be very interesting and that the new boxer will have a considerable advantage over Manny Pacquiao. He even added that Lomachenko craves new challenges and is extremely talented so it will be no surprise if he can indeed beat Pacquiao.
Still, Arum is quick to add that Pacquiao will have the final say on who his new opponent will be. So fans just have to wait around to see if this fight will ever happen.
