This isn’t the boxing landscape that you are used to.
In a move that will shock boxing fans worldwide, this morning Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao announced that he has entered into an exclusive agreement to work with manager and advisor Al Haymon. The new alliance will have Team Pacquiao and Haymon working together to navigate the remainder of his illustrious career.
Pacquiao is boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the announcement today that he has entered into an exclusive agreement to work with manager/advisor Al Haymon shows that he is ready to make a drastic change in the twilight of his career. Pacquiao’s first defense of the World Boxing Association welterweight world title will kick off the new partnership and will have Pacquiao appear on the Premier Boxing Champions series. Pacquiao’s promotion company, MP Promotions, will promote all of his upcoming bouts under this new alignment with Haymon.
MP Promotions will also work with Al Haymon to bring some of the best fighters from the Philippines and Asia to the United States to appear on the PBC series.
“I’m very excited about this new chapter in my career and I’m looking forward to a fresh start. I’m reinvigorated by the prospects of bringing up new fighters under the MP Promotions banner,” said Pacquiao via press release. “My team will work closely with Al Haymon for the remainder of my career to deliver the most anticipated fights with the top PBC fighters. Those are the fights the fans want to see and the ones I want to have to close out my career.”
For years, Pacquiao was advised by Michael Koncz and promoted by Bob Arum under the Top Rank banner. Haymon famously negotiated superstar Floyd Mayweather out of his deal with Top Rank so the Grand Rapids, Michigan native could promote himself under the Mayweather Promotions banner. The move has made Floyd a goal superstar with the bankroll to back it up.
Many have wondered with all his philanthropy in the Philippines and with the atrocious loss to Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia if Pacquiao’s deals were sabotaging the fighter’s finances.
Many saw a major announcement coming from Pacquiao’s camp when he and Floyd Mayweather seemingly staged a run in where Mayweather sparked the notion that a rematch would definitely be happening between the two.
“MP Promotions is very excited about this last phase of Senator Manny’s Hall of Fame Career. We look forward to launching this new relationship with Manny’s first world title defense,” said Joe Ramos, who heads MP Promotions via press release. “I would also like to acknowledge matchmaker Sean Gibbons, legal counsel Tom Falgui, and Senator Manny’s aide Steve Jumalon for their tireless efforts and invaluable advice.”
Pacquiao, a three-time Fighter of the Year and Boxing Writers Association of America’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, will return to the ring early next year. The fight, which will be announced soon, will be co-promoted by MP Promotions and Haymon promotional go to affiliate, TGB Promotions.
With Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad in attendance (the first time two heads of state attended a championship boxing event), Pacquaio regained the welterweight title for a fourth time on July 15 at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia by knocking out defending WBA champion Lucas Matthyssee in the seventh round.
Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as a congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez.
