Did you know that Manny Pacquiao's next fight is less than three weeks away? Did you care?
55,000 fans will be packed into Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia this July 2 to see Manny Pacquiao beat the vegemite out of Brisbane's hometown "Fighting Schoolteacher" Jeff Horn in a bout that is every bit the shameful exhibition that the still-rumored Mayweather-McGregor fight is pegged to be.
Pacquiao-Horn is being hyped as the biggest fight in Australian history, but it's not because the bout is actually going to be good or even competitive.
The Filipino icon can still draw attention and still put asses in seats, even if it seems that he's now content with going on a Greatest Hits tour to smaller markets that are eager to catch a glimpse of a legend.
In more discerning markets, Pacquiao has to have a credible B-side now to draw interest. HBO passed on broadcasting his last bout with Jessie Vargas and they, of course, were going to pass on the unknown and unproven Horn.
If Team Pacquiao is serious about the American market and about re-staking his claim as an elite, big money welterweight, he has to step up the level of opposition and fight someone who actually has a chance of beating him. And, given their unwillingness to even discuss top welterweight challenges, it's clear that they are content with smaller events that present less risk as Manny becomes more and more of a part-timer in the game.
One has to wonder why, exactly, Pacquiao is signing off on poorly-received bouts that mean nothing to his legacy as a fighter.
Awhile back, Pacquiao hinted at the fact that maybe he still needs an incoming revenue stream. The man does have a lavish lifestyle to maintain and, from all accounts, plenty of financial responsibilities to friends and family.
He could also be bound by contractual ties to Top Rank Promotions.
All of that could explain why the 38-year-old future first ballot Hall of Famer is dragging himself through training camp, leaving behind family and his responsibilities as Senator to engage in yet another fight that seems to exist solely for the reason of generating a payday.
Opponent Jeff Horn is a likeable guy and a solid regional-level fighter, but he's not someone who belongs in the ring with an even half-prepared, half-focused Manny Pacquiao.
With his high-water mark wins coming against well past-their-prime former titlists Randall Bailey and Ali Funeka, the undefeated Horn has the type of resume someone would expect from a regional champion. There's nothing special in either his resume or his general skill set to indicate that he can be even remotely competitive in his upcoming challenge.
Horn's role in the Pacquiao-Horn event appears to be a simple one-be the good looking, affable fall guy who will try really hard, but fail spectacularly. Unless there's some nefarious business machinations behind this match-up, there's, almost literally, zero chance of Horn winning.
Even the 29-year-old fall guy in question seems overwhelmed by the decision to snatch a low-level minor leaguer for a match-up with a legend.
"I try not to think about it or worry," Horn told the Sydney Morning Herald, "As soon as I really start to deeply think about it, that's when the nerves start. I have to practice that, come the fight, when I walk out and there's 55,000 people and Manny is across the ring."
The frustrating part is that while Pacquiao deals with Horn, Team Pacquiao will be talking up Terence Crawford and Keith Thurman and still giving obsessive lip service to a Floyd Mayweather rematch. It's a sad, dishonest way to finish out a career that meant so much to so many people.