Boxing News: Canelo Alvarez vs Manny Pacquiao Fight Could Happen, Says Bob Arum

Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum said Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao could face off this year. [Photo: Wikimedia]
Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum said Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao could face off this year. [Photo: Wikimedia]
Manny Pacquiao and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez could eventually collide if the Filipino boxing icon decides to come out of retirement, says Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum.

Alvarez, who has an impressive 47-1-1 record with 33 knockout victories, successfully defended his World Boxing Council middleweight title via a scintillating sixth-round knockout victory over Amir Khan on Saturday.

Alvarez, who won the belt in November last year after running away with a unanimous decision win against Miguel Cotto, will need to defend the title to mandatory challenger Gennady Golovkin, who has a perfect 35-0 card.

However, Arum told El Paso Times that he has already talked to Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya about staging a bout between Pacquiao and Alvarez later this year.

The veteran promoter revealed that the bout could be held at the AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys owned by Jerry Jones. Arum also revealed that trainer Freddie Roach is also open to the idea of pitting Pacquiao against the Mexican boxing superstar.

“If he comes out of retirement, Canelo is a guy that Freddie Roach and he are talking about wanting to fight,” Arum said. “So, if that fight does happen, then AT&T Stadium would be perfect because, we sort of feel here at Top Rank, that we’re part of the Cowboys family.”

It remains to be seen, though, whether or not Pacquiao will fight again after the former pound-for-pound king announced his retirement following his unanimous decision win against Timothy Bradley on April 9.

Pacquiao, who has racked up an impressive 58-6-2 record in his career, said that he will likely focus on his family and political career. The former eight-division champion ran for senator in the Philippines and is poised to win based on the latest partial and unofficial results of the election.