On Friday afternoon, boxing Twitter exploded when Manny Pacquiao posted a single meme that needed no caption.
Immediately, there was a flurry of activity. Boxing media rushed to verify and then tweet the news.
Everyone appeared to be caught off-guard, especially since the industry was still reacting to an arbitrator’s decision that Tyson Fury must grant Deontay Wilder their trilogy before September 15th. That fight, which trumped the negotiations around the highly anticipated Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight, has been verbally agreed upon. It is tentatively scheduled to take place, according to ESPN.com, on July 24th in Las Vegas. ESPN.com also noted that an alternative date of August 14th has also been proposed.
The trash-talking, as expected, was immediate.
“I’ll smoke Wilder first then you will get yours [as well],” tweeted Fury on Tuesday at Joshua.
That fight should be another spectacle, but the Pacquiao vs. Spence matchup, scheduled for August 21st, gives true fans of the sport what they needed, wanted, and deserved.
A long-awaited super-fight and the ammunition to counter the rise of boxing entertainment and the rise of the Paul brothers.
Fans of pugilism have frustratingly watched the Paul brothers transition from social media stars to boxing ring attractions. Following Jake Paul’s victory over an out-of-shape, formerly retired MMA fighter Ben Askren, older brother Logan Paul finally got his fight with Mayweather back on track. It was scheduled for this past February but postponed due to lack of interest and PPV pre-orders. The two camps were able to pull it back together and announce it with a ridiculous press conference that resulted in Jake catching hands from Floyd after stealing Mayweather’s hat.
This attention by Jake Paul, much to the chagrin of boxing purists, earned him a multi-fight deal with Showtime.
Boxing, as I mentioned in a previous story, had no one to blame for the rise of the Paul brothers but itself. The politics, egos, and fragmentation across the industry prevented fans from watching the fights they deserved. It also prevented fighters from getting the fights they desired.
This frustration that has always existed in the sport, and the Paul brothers exploited it perfectly.
But boxing finally threw its counter-punches this past week.
The Fury vs. Wilder trilogy should be an exciting conclusion to their much-debated series in a division that has traditionally dominated the boxing spectrum. With Fury, Wilder, and Joshua in the mix and in contention, the ratings and revenue will always follow.
In the welterweight division, Manny Pacquiao is a global star who always carries his own weight. Errol Spence Jr. is a rising star and dominant force who has been waiting for the big fight. While fans were salivating over a potential fight between Spence and WBO Welterweight champion Terrence Crawford, the clash against Pacquiao was always looming in the background.
Now Spence finally has his super fight and Pacquiao has another big fight as he heads towards the end of his hall of fame career. Between this fight announcement and the anticipated fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, the sport has finally come out of the corner to fight in the center of the ring.
“Many people believe Spence is the best welterweight in the world and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and Pacquiao has never shied away from fighting real fights,” said Sean Gibbons, the president of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, to ESPN.com. “He’s not going to make a fool of himself fighting YouTubers or social media guys like Floyd Mayweather is, and he wants to continue his legacy. He’s always fought the best, and he doesn’t want to change now.”
If boxing grants fans fights like Teofimo Lopez vs. Gervonta Davis and Canelo vs. Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo or Demetrius Andrade, it will dominate the sports headlines once again.
And, just as importantly, it will push the Paul brothers and other aspiring, non-pro boxers, back into the corner.
