Manny Pacquiao lost his final opportunity to fight for a world title this year as the WBA ordered Eimantas Stanionis to defend his welterweight crown.
The Filipino boxing legend aims for a last hoorah in the boxing ring before walking away for good, initially targeting WBC champion Mario Barrios. However, Barrios took a fight on the November 15 Mike Tyson undercard despite holding talks with Pacquiao. This decision left the “Pac-Man” with only Jaron Ennis [IBF] and Eimantas Stanionis left to target.
Stanionis, who told WBN he was open to facing Pacquiao, is now off the menu following the WBA order. Ennis is also unlikely to be available due to the prospect of an IBF exception being ruled out. Pacquiao has nowhere to go regarding a title shot unless he moves up to 154 pounds.
The WBA confirmed that Stanionis will not be allowed to look elsewhere for an opponent as he is overdue for his mandatory defense.
“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has ordered the mandatory bout between Lithuanian welterweight world champion Eimantas Stanionis and official challenger Shakhram Giyasov. The communication was officially sent to both parties on September 19, and they were given 30 days to negotiate the fight, which would end on October 19.
“The championship rule C.10 states that a champion must defend the title against the next available contender within nine months from the date he won the title. Stanionis won it on April 15, 2022, so the time limit for his next mandatory fight expired on January 14, 2023, and he must face Giyasov.
“On the other hand, WBA Rule C.13 – Fighting Limitations – states that the champion cannot fight a boxer who is not the official challenger within sixty days after the expiration of the mandatory defense period.
“If the teams of both boxers cannot reach an agreement within the given period or if either party refuses to negotiate, the WBA may open the fight to a purse bid under its rules and regulations. The purse split will be 75% for the champion and 25% for the challenger,” they added.
With all the 147-pound championships off the table, it could be back to the exhibition circuit for Manny Pacquiao, with plenty of options.
Floyd Mayweather, who Pacquiao confirmed had agreed to a fight for December 2024 when appearing at RIZIN last year, could be the first port of call. Both men still hold ties to RIZIN and could reignite talks if Pacquiao has exhausted all his professional avenues.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
