The 30-second version
- ✓It's a negotiation, not a signed bout — contracts haven't been delivered, per Pacquiao's adviser.
- ✓Stevenson shut out Teofimo Lopez 119-109 ×3 at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2026.
- ✓Pacquiao (47) drew with Barrios in July 2025 — the punch stats favoured Barrios — and last won in 2019.
- ✓Southpaw vs. southpaw: no open-side lane for Pacquiao's straight left. He needs angles from his feet instead.
- ✓Weight is the first negotiation: Stevenson's belt is at 140; Pacquiao last fought there in 2009.
● The short answer
Pacquiao vs. Stevenson is in negotiation for the Fury vs. Joshua card in Cardiff, not signed. Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), 29, is the WBO junior welterweight champion after beating Teofimo Lopez 119-109 on all three cards at Madison Square Garden in January 2026. Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KOs), 47, drew with Mario Barrios in July 2025 in his first fight in four years and has not won since beating Keith Thurman in 2019. Both are southpaws, which takes away the open-side angles Pacquiao used against orthodox fighters for most of his career. The fight turns on whether Pacquiao's feet can still create the angles his hands need against the best defensive boxer in the sport.
Most "legend vs. champion" fights are decided by age in the first three rounds. This one might be decided by geometry. The talks are real, the contracts aren't. Here is what the fight would actually look like.
The champion
Shakur Stevenson, 29, is 25-0 with 11 knockouts and a four-division champion. In January he beat Teofimo Lopez 119-109 on all three cards at Madison Square Garden to win the WBO junior welterweight title — not a close fight against a man who had been a pound-for-pound name. Stevenson doesn't win with volume. He wins by making good fighters miss, then making them pay with one or two clean shots, round after round.
The legend
Manny Pacquiao, 47, is 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts and the only eight-division champion in history. He came back in July 2025 after four years out and drew with Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title — 115-113 for Barrios and 114-114 twice. The punch stats favoured Barrios. His last win was a split decision over Keith Thurman in 2019.
● The fight week, in your inbox
Results, the fights that matter next, and the science behind them.
Why southpaw against southpaw matters
Pacquiao's most famous nights came against orthodox fighters. Against a right-hander, a southpaw's lead foot sits outside, opening a lane for the straight left that Pacquiao threw faster than anyone of his era. Against another southpaw, that lane closes. The lead feet line up, the jabs collide, and the straight left has to come from an angle the feet create. At 47, Pacquiao's feet are the question.
Stevenson, meanwhile, boxes off a long, disciplined guard that takes away the punches Pacquiao lands in bunches.
Where Pacquiao has a chance
Pace in the first third. Stevenson starts measured. If Pacquiao can win rounds one to four on activity — in-and-out bursts, two punches and gone — he banks cards Stevenson has to win back.
Time out of the ring. Stevenson hasn't fought since January; a December date would mean more than ten months between fights. Pacquiao's last outing was July 2025, so rust cuts both ways — but the champion has more to lose from a slow start.
The weight
Stevenson's title is at 140. Pacquiao last made that weight in 2009, when he knocked out Ricky Hatton in two rounds. A catchweight is almost certain — and whoever gives more at the scale gives something in the ring.
Pacquiao made a career out of angles nobody else could find. Against a lefty this sharp, he has to find them with his feet at 47.
More: Pacquiao vs. Stevenson, the news · Canelo vs. Mbilli · train the Pacquiao system.
FAQ
Is Pacquiao vs. Stevenson confirmed?+
No. The fighters are in talks to be on the Fury vs. Joshua card in Cardiff; Pacquiao's adviser Jas Mathur has said bout agreements have not yet been delivered.
Are Pacquiao and Stevenson both southpaws?+
Yes, both fight left-handed. That changes the geometry of the fight compared with Pacquiao's famous nights against orthodox opponents.
How did Stevenson beat Teofimo Lopez?+
By unanimous decision, 119-109 on all three scorecards, on January 31, 2026, at Madison Square Garden, winning the WBO junior welterweight title.
Related fighters
BoxingFinesse · Partner
The Vault: rare, by invitation.
Rare and vintage fight pieces, private auctions, limited drops and collections made with pro fighters. The key is free — members see everything first.
- Rare pieces
- Auctions
- Drops & merch
- Fighter collabs
- Tickets & events
- Tools & programs
800+ in the Finesse Club · 500+ vintage magazines
