Home Boxing News Errol Spence will be lucky to last six rounds with Manny Pacquiao,...

Errol Spence will be lucky to last six rounds with Manny Pacquiao, says Nonito Donaire Sr

Manny Pacquiao with Buboy Fernandez, Freddie Roach and Justine Fortune. Photo credit: RingTV

WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 27-0 (21) will be lucky to survive to the halfway point of his fight against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao 62-7-2 (39) in their all-southpaw showdown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 21.

That is the opinion of Pacquiao’s countryman, Nonito Donaire Sr, the father of five-weight world champion and reigning WBC bantamweight king Nonito Donaire 41-6 (27).

“We’re here for Manny Pacquiao and Spence,” said Donaire Sr said to FightHype. “He [Pacquiao] has that ever since he was born, the speed and the power already.

“I think before Spence can react, Manny can hit him right away because of the speed. Spence doesn’t have the speed that Manny has.”

Donaire Sr questioned Spence’s punching power, citing the 31-year-old Texan’s 12-round rout of Mikey Garcia 40-1 (30) two years ago as evidence.

“It’s very dangerous for [Spence] because for me when he fought Mikey Garcia, Mikey was way too small for him. He didn’t hurt Garcia,” he said.

“When he fights a guy with speed and power, we’ll see. I think Manny will knock him out in the early rounds. Maybe in the first six rounds, that’s the most.”

The 42-year-old Pacquiao jetted out of the Philippines this week to go into full camp in Los Angeles. The Spence bout will be his first since dethroning previously undefeated WBA 147-pound champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman 29-1 (22) in Las Vegas in July 2019.

“Manny is more hungry because we leave for almost two years,” said trainer Buboy Fernandez to FightHype.

“In this fight, it’s going to be a different Manny Pacquiao. We’re going to show him. Errol Spence is not an easy fighter. He’s a good fighter, he’s a world champion. We train hard.”

This week The Ring magazine designated the fight between Spence and Pacquiao would be contested for their vacant welterweight title. The last person to wear the prestigious belt was the now-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr 50-0 (27) almost six years ago.

“It’s taken the best part of six years, but finally we have a 147-pound fight deemed worthy of Ring Magazine championship honours,” The Ring explained.

“The winner of the August 21 showdown between unified titleholder Errol Spence Jr and the legendary Manny Pacquiao will become the first Ring welterweight champion since Floyd Mayweather relinquished the title in September 2015.

“Other holders of this prestigious prize include all-time greats Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.”

The Ring normally only sanctions world title bouts between their top two contenders except in exceptional circumstances. Spence is ranked number one while Pacquiao sits at number three. The number two is WBO champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 37-0 (28).

“Our own championship policy stipulates the following: ‘If a fight between the number one and two contenders cannot be made and number one fights number three, the winner may be awarded The Ring belt if the Editorial Board deems the number three contender worthy.’

“All three members of the editorial board voted. All three agreed that Pacquiao-Spence qualifies.”

In addition to The Ring belt, the WBA board of governors is preparing to vote on the reinstatement of Pacquiao as their champion.

Pacquiao was designated ‘champion in recess’ by the Panamanian sanctioning body in January.