Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Timothy Bradley Will Be Filipino Champ's Final Opponent, Says Adviser
Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum recently said that he is still unsure if Manny Pacquiao will really retire after his next fight, but Michael Koncz insisted that the Filipino boxing icon is ready to call it quits.
Pacquiao will return to the ring against Timothy Bradley on April 9 at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Arum said that he does not want to dub the fight as Pacquiao's farewell bout because he is unsure if the former eight-division world champion will change his mind later this year.
But for Koncz, who is the long-time adviser of Pacquiao, the scheduled bout against Bradley will be his client's final fight because the 37-year-old is planning to focus on his political career in the Philippines.
"As it stands at this moment, I can honestly say this is Manny Pacquiao's last fight," Koncz told BoxingScene.
Koncz also addressed the negative reactions about their decision to face Bradley. The California native is the reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, but most fans and analysts said that there is no reason for a third bout between Pacquiao and Bradley.
Bradley escaped with a split decision win during their first showdown in May, but WBO eventually ruled that Pacquiao was robbed off a victory. The two welterweight superstars met in a rematch in April 2014 in Las Vegas, where Pacquiao ran away with a unanimous decision victory.
"Again, my job is to do the best I can do for Manny and unfortunately whether the fans like it or not, that's in the financial aspect and that's what I did," Koncz said of picking Bradley for Pacquiao's next fight.
British boxer Amir Khan was also considered before Pacquiao and his camp opted to face Bradley. Koncz said that Khan even lowered his asking price, but it was still not enough to match the numbers that they are expected to get if they arrange the third bout between Pacquiao and Bradley.
Koncz also confirmed that reigning World Boxing Association super lightweight champion Adrien Broner, who holds a 31-12 record with 23 knockout victories, was also on their list. But in the end, they concluded that Bradley is more marketable than Broner and Khan.
"I was even contemplating Adrien Broner but we had to look at everything in a package deal and fortunately - or unfortunately - the best package financially I could get for Manny was a rematch with Bradley," Koncz revealed.
Watch the highlights of the first two fights between Pacquiao and Bradley below.
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