Manny Pacquiao was expected to name his opponent for April 9, 2016, anytime now, but it seems that he has opted to save that for next year.
Pacquiao told trainer Freddie Roach that he will announce the name of the fighter he has decided to face early next year when he returns to train in Hollywood, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
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Pacquiao is choosing from among three names -- Amir Khan, Terence Crawford and Timothy Bradley Jr. The Filipino boxer has no preference on which of the three he would fight, though Roach seems to be intrigued by Bradley and trainer Teddy Atlas.
“This guy waits for the camera to get on him … some of the fans really enjoy that [stuff],” Roach said. “He thinks his fighter can beat my fighter because of him. I’d like to show him he can’t."
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For the record, Atlas is equally in favor of a Pacquiao vs. Bradley 3 as reported by Boxing News 24.
Bradley is coming off a sensational win over Brandon Rios and the performance seemed to be enough to have him lined up for a possible trilogy with Pacquiao. Bradley won the first encounter in 2012 while Pacquiao came back charging with a unanimous decision in 2014.
Khan on the other hand has been long waiting in the wings and the two camps have been in fight talks even before Pacquiao fought the now-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Terence Crawford suddenly became a favorite after his demolition of Dierry Jean. Crawford is a new face and someone known to be dangerous, making him an equally interesting opponent for Pacquiao before hanging up his gloves for good as he shifts his attention to the world of politics.
As far as Roach is concerned, the fight is something that can gauge if Pacquiao has indeed recovered fully from his recent shoulder surgery. He adds that a good performance could set the stage of a possible rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. despite the looming fact that a sequel may not rack in as much money as the one held last May 2.
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