By:  | March 8, 2023 8:44 am

It sounds like Manny Pacquiao could be taking on a serious boxer next! Undefeated Englishman Conor Benn took to Twitter this week to declare that he was ready to face the Filipino ‘anytime’.

Pacquiao’s advisor, Sean Gibbons, also made it clear that the Filipino wanted the fight. But there are clearly a few obstacles to overcome with Benn’s last fight having been called off a the last minute after he failed a drug test.

Benn tested positive for clomifene and an investigation by the UK Anti-Doping and the British Boxing Board of Control is still ongoing. As a result his fight with Chris Eubank Jr was called off but he hasn’t been handed a ban yet.

Benn is clearly keen to face Pacquiao:

Ready to rumble

Sean Gibbons, who is the president of Manny Pacquiao promotions, made it clear that the Filipino wants the fight. He declared on Twitter that they were,

Waiting on Eddie Hearn! Senator ready to rumble!

Benn holds a record of 21-0 and he and Pacquiao do have an opponent in common. In 2021 he faced Chris Algieri and stopped the American in the fourth round.

Pacquiao faced the same opponent in 2014 and knocked him down six times to claim a very one sided decision win. The other thing the two men share in common is a weight class with Benn competing at 147lbs.

 

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False accusations

At one stage Pacquiao was accused of using PEDs by Floyd Mayweather. But there was absolutely no evidence to support these claims which were made after negotiations for a fight between the two men had broken down.

By contrast Benn has tested positive for a PED. But he claims that the elevated levels of clomifene were caused by excessive consumption of eggs and the WBC has accepted this explanation.

Unfortunately for Benn he has not been cleared to fight in the UK with an investigation there still ongoing. But a failed drug test would be unlikely to prevent him from facing Pacquiao in another country, particularly if it was billed as an exhibition match.