Passing of torch?

Manny Pacquiao could end up fighting a guy young enough to be his son.

Just hours after Pacquiao’s prospective foe Conor McGregor got ambushed in Abu Dhabi, Ryan Garcia, the young and fast-rising American lightweight, said on his Instagram account that he is on course to meet Pacquiao in the ring this year.

There were no other details provided but Garcia, 22, sounded on social media as if the matchup is already cast in stone.

“A dream turned reality. It’s an honor to share the ring with Manny Pacquiao. I will always respect what you did in and out the ring. Here’s to the best man winning,” Garcia said.

Sources tell Daily Tribune that the target date for the Pacquiao-Garcia bout is around September with Los Angeles as main site and Saudi Arabia as backup venue.
Pacquiao, 42, hasn’t fought since stunning Kieth Thurman in July 2019 in Las Vegas.

Nicknamed “KingRy,” Garcia holds a 21-0 record with 18 knockouts. Last 2 January, Garcia came off the floor to stop Luke Campbell to win the interim World Boxing Council lightweight belt.

The heavy-handed Garcia is under contract with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

If indeed the mouthwatering matchup happens, it would have eerie similarities to the time in December 2008 when Pacquiao sent De la Hoya into retirement.
Interestingly, Garcia and De la Hoya somehow look alike.

Both are about the same height, 5-10, are right-handers and of Mexican lineage.

Daily Tribune also learned that Pacquiao and Garcia are amenable to meet at a catchweight, the same scenario when Pacquiao, then a lightweight like Garcia, challenged De la Hoya, then a super-welter, more than 12 years ago.

When Pacquiao, who stands 5-foot-6, fought De la Hoya, the agreed weight was 145 lbs.

In this case, Pacquiao and Garcia might come to terms between 142 to 145 lbs.

After winning against Campbell early this year, Garcia said that he wwould love to fight Pacquiao.

“Please pass the torch to me,” said Garcia, whose trainer is Eddy Reynoso, the acclaimed strategist of Canelo Alvarez.

Garcia boasts of a huge number of followers on Instagram: 8.3 million.

Pacquiao, also an active user of the social media platform, has over six million followers.

By the time this bout takes place, Garcia would be ripe at 23 and Pacquiao pushing 43.

No wonder Garcia is so fond of hyping it as a passing of the torch.

Now, it’s up to Pacquiao to show Garcia that he still enjoys being seated on the throne.