Errol Spence pulls no punches when speaking of the respect he has for Manny Pacquiao. He is just as clear on his intent to knockout the Filipino boxing legend.
Errol Spence and Manny Pacquiao will step into the ring for battle on August 21. Spence plans to add to his legacy by permanently ending Pacquiao`s 26-year boxing career.
“Manny Pacquiao is a living legend,” Spence explains. “This could be his last fight, and that makes it bigger.”
Spence commends Pacquiao for still wanting to fight the best opposition despite being 42 years old. “He could have picked somebody just to get a huge paycheck,” Spence says. “Instead, he took the biggest challenge in the division.”
Manny Pacquiao is a veteran of 71 professional fights. He won 62 fights and ended the night early against 39 opponents. Pacquiao lost seven fights and experienced two draws.
Manny Pacquiao emerged victorious in his last fight against Keith Thurman in 2019. The boxing match earned Pacquiao the WBA welterweight title.
The WBA made Pacquiao a champion in recess due to his two-year layoff. Yordenis Ugas is now the official WBA welterweight champion and will defend his title on the Pacquiao-Spence undercard.
Errol Spence is undefeated in 27 professional fights. The 31-year-old De Soto, Texas, native won 21 boxing matches by knockout. Spence will defend the WBC and IBF welterweight championships when he steps into the ring with Pacquiao.
The opportunity to add Pacquiao to his resume is huge for Spence. But he says the biggest fight so far in his career was his 2017 victory against Kell Brook. Spence earned his first world championship in the fight and says it opened the door to the opportunities he now enjoys.
Spence´s last three fights, all PPV main events, included victories against Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Mikey Garcia. A victory against a boxing icon like Manny Pacquiao can propel Spence toward superstardom.