Manny Pacquiao believes he can fight twice in 2021, but there may be a wait until he gets back into the ring.
Pacquiao is a senator in the Philippines, and his political duties will preclude any competitive boxing for the first few months of next year.
“We still have sessions in March so there’s no way I am going to fight during that time,” Pacquiao told the Daily Tribune.
An April fight would give him another eight months to schedule a second fight in the calendar year, and Pacquiao confirmed that, “I think I can do two next year.”
The 41-year-old boxing legend has been linked repeatedly with a fight with UFC star Conor McGregor, but the MMA fighter will compete in January before turning his attention to any boxing action.
Another complication is the coronavirus pandemic, which limits the amount of fans able to attend sporting events. Given the huge demand a Pacquiao fight would stimulate, promoters and boxers would probably rather wait until it becomes more profitable to stage a fight.
Additionally, one of the senator’s aides, Choi Garcia, believes there are reasons away from money to wait for the return of crowds.
“I just don’t see him fighting without any crowd involvement,” Garcia said.
“He draws energy from the crowd.
“No one knows when his next fight will be.”