Although Manny Pacquiao's next fight hasn't been confirmed, Mikey Garcia hopes to be the current WBA welterweight champion's opponent at some point this year.
In an interview with BoxingScene.com, Garcia said he believes a fight with Pacquiao can certainly be made this year as Garcia hopes to finally capture a welterweight title. This isn't the first time Garcia has spoken up about a potential fight against Pacquiao.
“There’s a lot of buzz going around on a potential Manny Pacquiao fight. It’s a fight that’s been brought up for years. Now it’s starting to pick up a lot of steam. He has obligations in the Philippines government, and I wanted to get a return fight [after losing to Errol Spence Jr]. I don’t know if he will be available or not, but I think the second half of 2020 might be ready for both of us to get in the ring. Maybe he gets something before that. By then, I’ll be ready to get back in the ring. I didn’t want to just wait. If I look forward to bigger fights, than the biggest fight for me is Manny Pacquiao," Garcia said.
Pacquiao is coming off a big win over Keith Thurman in July to win the WBA's "Super" championship at 147 pounds in the main event of a PBC on FOX pay-per-view. Since then, Pacquiao has not fought with no announcement on when he will return. Pacquiao currently fights under the PBC umbrella, which houses notable welterweights such as Danny Garcia, Errol Spence Jr. Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugas to name a few.
Garcia, on the other hand, chose to sign a one-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing and will have his next fight take place in February when he takes on former welterweight titlist Jessie Vargas on DAZN. Although it is a one-fight deal, Matchroom Boxing does have the right to match any offer given to Garcia for his next fight after the Vargas bout.
