Manny Pacquiao's people want no part in a fight with Terence Crawford, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says

It will be the 36th fight of Crawford's career to date but the pre-fight focus has been on potential future fights against other elite welterweights.
Crawford is represented by the Las Vegas fight firm Top Rank, but has been linked with high-profile bouts with Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr., both of whom are signed with rival company Premier Boxing Champions.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has slapped down talk of Crawford fighting either athlete.
He recently told Business Insider that it is unclear when Spence Jr. could actually return to the ring following his high-speed Ferrari crash , and added Pacquiao's people simply don't want the Crawford fight.
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Terence Crawford returns to the ring against Egidijus Kavaliauskas at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, but the pre-fight focus has been on a career-defining fight in the coming years.

Crawford, widely regarded as one of the finest fighters on the planet, has been linked with future bouts against other elite welterweights like Errol Spence Jr. or Manny Pacquiao. Victory over either would help punctuate Crawford's legacy.

Crawford even said earlier this year that he wants to fight Pacquiao, but doubts it is a bout that can ever be made.

And the American's promoter, Bob Arum, the CEO of Las Vegas fight firm Top Rank, has said neither fight is likely.

Speaking to Business Insider last month, Arum said it is unclear how long Spence Jr. will take to recover after recently crashing his Ferrari at high speed, and added that Pacquiao's people are simply uninterested in matching the Filipino against Crawford.

"Manny Pacquiao is a non-starter," Arum told us. "I even offered Manny the fight with Crawford and Manny's people said, 'No.'"

As for Spence Jr., Arum said: "He's a lovely young man, a great fighter, but who knows when he'll be able to fight again. He had this horrible car accident, and I just wish him all the best. I don't know how realistic that fight will be now."

Crawford's weekend fight against Kavaliauskas is a world title defense of his WBO welterweight championship, a belt he has defended twice already, having won it after stopping Jeff Horn in the ninth round of a 2018 title showdown.

Previously, he had held a version of the world championship at lightweight before unifying the super lightweight division.

The 32-year-old, unbeaten in 35 fights with 26 wins by knockout, is expected to win his 36th fight this weekend.

But fans should not expect him to face-off against Premier Boxing Champions duo Spence or Pacquiao in 2020, according to Arum.

"I don't think Manny was interested in Spence before the accident, or Crawford because, you know, let's be honest about it, Manny is a great fighter but at this point in his career, at his age, he would not be competitive, in my opinion, with either Crawford or Spence," Arum said.

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