On February 23, 2016 it was announced that Algieri would take on one of welterweights hottest prospects Errol Spence Jr. (19-0, 16 KOs) on April 16 at the Barclays Center where he was (2-2) against opponents. Porter has lost close, disputable decision to Errol Spence, Keith Thurman, and Kell Brook. These were all fights that could’ve easily gone his way if the judges had seen a round or two in a slightly different light. And all three of those high-profile losses were fiercely competitive from opening bell to closing bell.

(Editor’s note: This story originally published over at Boxing Junkie, part of the USA TODAY Network.)

Manny Pacquiao, at 42, has only a few more fights remaining in his career. Thus, people pay attention whenever he’s linked to a potential opponent.

The latest name is Ryan Garcia, with whom Pacquiao reportedly is in negotiations for either a fight or an exhibition. Garcia seemed to say on Instagram that a deal has been reached but, according to reports, that’s not the case.

Is Garcia the best opponent for Pacquiao among those who have been mentioned since Pacquiao outpointed Keith Thurman to win a major 147-pound title in July 2019?

Or are there others – in boxing or mixed martial arts – who would be better fits for Pacquiao at this stage of the game?

Here are five matchups that have been discussed for the future Hall of Famer, in order of appeal:

1 Terrence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr.

Errol Spence Jr. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The goal of every major beltholder should be to unify titles, which gives fans the closest thing to a genuine champion in a dysfunctional system. Crawford and Spence own the three remaining titles. I would fear for Pacquiao if he were to face either one of them but, if he wants to challenge himself and add to his legacy, this is the direction he should go.

2 Mikey Garcia

Garcia isn’t the threat that Crawford and Spence are. And he doesn’t have the fan base of Ryan Garcia, meaning a Pacquiao-Mike Garcia wouldn’t generate the interest Pacquiao-Ryan Garcia would. However, it might be the best possible matchup from a competitive perspective. Mikey Garcia is a legitimate opponent who, like Pacquiao, is a small welterweight.

3 Ryan Garcia (sanctioned)

Ryan Garcia. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

I was surprised to see some people dismiss King Ryan’s chances against Pacquiao. Pacman is bigger and more experienced than Garcia but he’s 42 and will have been out of the ring for more than a year and a half if they meet. It’s a competitive fight, at least on paper. Plus, the popularity of both fighters would make the promotion an entertaining ride.

4 Conor McGregor

The Pacquiao-McGregor fight is the least competitive of all possibilities. In other words, McGregor would stand no chance. This matchup would be a financial reward for Pacquiao for everything he has given the sport. He deserves it if he wants it. And the fact that McGregor lost to Dustin Poirier should have no bearing on whether the fight should be made. It would still be lucrative.

5 Ryan Garcia (exhibition)

If Pacquiao and Garcia take part in an exhibition to benefit charity, God bless them. They’re good people. That said, I have no interest whatsoever in seeing it. Why would I? Sparring can be interesting to watch sometimes but there are enough real televised and streamed fights to keep me satiated. If Pacquiao and Garcia want to help those less fortunate, then they could donate a portion of their purses. Please, no exhibition.

Also

Of course, there are more legitimate prospective opponents for Pacquiao. They include: Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez. The problem is that none of them are as interesting at those listed above.

Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is an American boxing and mixed martial arts promotion firm based in Los Angeles, California. The company was established in 2002 by eight-time world champion (in six divisions) Oscar De La Hoya. Nicknamed 'Golden Boy' by media, De La Hoya is one of boxing's most active and high-profile promoters, presenting shows worldwide.

History[edit]

In 2005, Golden Boy Enterprises announced the formation of Golden Boy Partners, a company focused on urban development in Latino communities.^[1]

Errol Spence Pay Per View

Errol Spence Youtube

Golden Boy promoted the May 5, 2007, 'super fight' between De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather won the bout by a split decision. The fight once held the records for most pay-per-view buys and as the second-highest grossing fight in the history of the sport.^[2]The company also co-promoted, with Top Rank, The Dream Match: Oscar De La Hoya Vs Manny Pacquiao on December 6, 2008.

In June 2009, Golden Boy Enterprises became embroiled in a dispute over who would fight for the WBA junior welterweight title. On the one hand, undefeated Dmitry Salita (the WBA's No. 1-ranked 140-pounder) was told by the WBA in writing that he will face the winner of the June 27 fight between titleholder Andreas Kotelnik and Amir Khan. On the other hand, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy said that he had it 'in writing' that that fight would face the winner of the Victor Ortíz-Marcos Maidana fight.^[3] The WBA's top executives were unavailable for comment. Salita was extremely upset over the prospect that he could lose what would be his first title shot. 'They're a big company', he said of Golden Boy. 'They're trying to bend the rules. They're trying to kick everyone to the side and get their way, rules or no rules. When Oscar De La Hoya formed Golden Boy, he said he wanted to change boxing, to bring honor to the sport. This isn't the honorable thing to do. This isn't good for boxing. This isn't justice. This goes against the right to pursue happiness, which is why my family immigrated to this country (from Ukraine) and why I've worked so hard. We'll see what happens.'^[3] Salita ended up fighting Khan, losing by 1st-round TKO.

In January 2017, Golden Boy signed a contract to bring their boxing promotions to ESPN under a two-year deal of a total of 48 fights.^[4]

In October 2018, Canelo Álvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs), signed an 11-fight deal with sports streaming site DAZN. The first fight under this new deal was on December 15 of that year, when Álvarez made his first appearance at the historic Madison Square Garden challenging Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs) for the WBA Super Middleweight World Championship. At the time of signing, Álvarez' deal was the richest athlete contract in sports history.^[5]

Current title holders[edit]

Notable Alumni[edit]

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion[edit]

In 2018, De La Hoya added mixed martial arts matches to his roster, as Golden Boy MMA, beginning with a 2018 trilogy bout between long-time rivals Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.^[6] The inaugural event took place on November 24, 2018 in California,^[7] and saw Ortiz dispatch Liddell by first-round knockout.^[8]

When the full card was first announced in October 2018, The Ultimate Fighter 3: Team Ortiz vs. Team Shamrock alum Kendall Grove was scheduled to face Andre Walker. However, this bout failed to materialize.^[9]

UFC alum Tom Gallicchio was scheduled to face Jason Manly in a Welterweight bout. However, the bout was cancelled when Gallicchio suffered a staph infection.^[10]

Kenneth Bergh and Jorge Gonzales were announced to fight in a Light Heavyweight bout. However, the bout failed to materialize.^[10] Juliana Miller was initially scheduled to face Jasmine Pouncy. However, Pouncy was replaced by Sidney Trillo.^[10]

Affliction: Trilogy[edit]

In 2008, Golden Boy Promotions and Affliction Clothing started a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, aggressively pursuing free agents.^[11] The promotion was cancelled 10 days prior to its third Affliction: Trilogy PPV event, featuring Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett, in July 2009, subsequent to Barnett having tested positive for anabolic steroids, in accordance with the California State Athletic Commission,^[12] when a qualified replacement fighter could not be secured in time.^[13][14]

Liddell vs. Ortiz 3[edit]

Golden Boy Promotions: Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 was a MMA event that took place on November 24, 2018 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Background

For the main event, Chuck Liddell's reported payout was $250,000 (plus a percentage of pay-per-view buys) and Tito Ortiz's payout was $200,000 (plus a percentage of pay-per-view buys).^[16]

Errol Spence Pay For Fight

Results

See also[edit]

Errol Spence Payouts

References[edit]

1. ^:: Golden Boy Promotions Inc. ::Archived 2008-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^':: Golden Boy Promotions Inc. ::'.
3. ^ ^ab'Data'.
4. ^Rafael, Dan (2017-01-19). ''Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN' begins partnership in March'. ESPN.com. ESPN Inc. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
5. ^Promotions, Golden Boy. 'Canelo Alvarez & Golden Boy Promotions Sign Historic Five-Year Partnership With Global Sports Streaming Leader DAZN'. www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
6. ^Okamoto, Brett 'Former UFC stars Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz agree to third MMA fight', ESPN, July 4, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
7. ^BoxingScene.com 'De La Hoya: I strongly feel Golden Boy MMA will not be a one-off', September 7, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
8. ^'Tito Ortiz gets revenge on Chuck Liddell with vicious knockout in trilogy'. MMAjunkie. 2018-11-25. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
9. ^Straus, Mike (2018-10-15). 'Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 Full Fight Card Announced'. lowkickmma.com.
10. ^ ^abcd'Liddell vs. Ortiz 3: Results'. tapology.com. 2018-11-25.
11. ^'Exclusive: Ben Rothwell considering offer from new Golden Boy and Affliction fight promotion - Five Ounces of Pain'. 19 March 2008.
12. ^Stupp, Dann (July 22, 2009). 'CSAC: Affliction's Josh Barnett tested positive for anabolic steroid, license denied'. MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
13. ^AP 'No foe for Emelianenko sinks card', ESPN, July 24, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
14. ^Sherdog.com. 'Update: Affliction Cancels 'Trilogy''. Sherdog.
15. ^https://mmajunkie.com/2018/11/golden-boy-mma-liddell-vs-ortiz-3-attendance-7839
16. ^https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/11/23/18109312/liddell-vs-ortiz-3-salaries-chuck-liddell-tito-ortiz-to-cash-six-figure-paydays-for-trilogy-fight

How Much Does Errol Spence Make

External links[edit]