‘Manny Pacquaio has agreed to fight Conor Benn,’ according to advisor
Manny Pacquiao evidently is serious about making a comeback at 44.
Sean Gibbons, the future Hall of Famer’s advisor, said his client has agreed to face 147-pound contender Conor Benn and is waiting to hear back from Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter.
No date or potential site has been mentioned.
Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) hasn’t taken part in a sanctioned bout since August 2021, when he lost to Yordenis Ugas and later ‘retired.’ He took part in an exhibition with DK Yoo this past December.
“Senator Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight Conor Benn,” Gibbons told PlanetSport.com. “Do me a favor, call Eddie Hearn. The ball is in his court. Senator Manny Pacquiao is happy to fight Conor Benn.”
Pacquiao turned to politics after walking away from boxing, falling short in his bid to become president of the Philippines in May of last year.
Gibbons said it was around the time of the Yoo event that Pacquiao expressed an interest in fighting again.
“He retired for a minute to run for president of the Philippines, where he took a respectful third place,” Gibbons told ESPN last month. “And after that he felt that his retirement was due to running for president, and now that [he wasn’t elected], he wants to fight again and feels like he can do it at the highest level.”
A fight with Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) would be complicated.
The son of retired champion Nigel Benn was scheduled to face fellow Englishman Chris Eubank Jr. on Oct. 8 but the event was cancelled after Benn tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended.
The WBC ultimately cleared him of intentionally breaking the rules. However, he remains suspended in the U.K., a ruling that likely means the fight would have to take place overseas.
Hearn acknowledged last month that Benn has been in talks with Pacquiao for some time.
“We are in the process of selecting Conor Benn’s next opponent and have been in active talks with Manny Pacquiao’s team,” Hearn told ESPN. “We have had multiple site offers to stage the event and are looking to make an official announcement on Conor’s next fight.”
Pacquiao also has expressed an interest in fighting Kell Brook if he can’t lure Benn into the ring.
