Pacquiao in talks to fight world champion Lomachenko
BOXING legend Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao said on Wednesday he was in talks for a blockbuster bout with world champion Vasyl Lomachenko, widely considered the best “pound-for-pound”
Pacquiao, 39, who has won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions, is eyeing an April date with the Ukrainian World Boxing Organization super-featherweight champ during a break from his duties as a senator.
“There are negotiations now about the No. 1 pound-for-pound (boxer) which is Lomachenko,” Pacquiao said in an interview on ABS-CBN television.
“There are still talks on the weight, reducing the weight,” said Pacquiao, who
Pacquiao aides told AFP there has been no agreement on the venue and the actual
top “pound-for-pound” fighter, Lomachenko, 29, has lost just once in 11 pro bouts and won all the others by knockout.
Pacquiao, whose loss of his WBO welterweight title to Aus record standing at 59 wins, seven losses and two draws, is now in the twilight of his career.
The Filipino southpaw retired - back to retake his WBO title from Jessie Vargas just months later. He has not scored a knockout win in the past eight years.
In contrast Lomachenko cemented his status last year after retaining his WBO junior lightweight title.
Lomachenko, who won gold rocketed to the top of his weight class after turning pro in 2013, winning nine world champion
Pacquiao, who has not climbed the ring since the Horn loss, said last month he had opened talks to McGregor in April.
But the Irishman said he wanted his next bout to be a return to the octagon after losing a boxing bout to unbeaten Floyd Mayweather by a 10th-round technical knockout Vegas in August last year.
On Wednesday, Pacquiao rejected calls for him to retire for good, adding he did not believe his recent losses tarnished his record.
“You know, I miss boxing,” Pacquiao said, adding he was “still okay.”
Pacquiao, elected a senator in did not neglect his legislative duties. Pacquiao said Wednesday he would have to be done in April when the Philippine Congress would go on break.