All roads — apparently — lead to Saudi Arabia.
The past several months, some of the most awaited matchups have taken place in Riyadh all because of one man: Turki Al-Sheikh.
Last October, all the boxing personages and even a sprinkling from the world of mixed martial arts converged in Riyadh to watch Tyson Fury take on Francis Ngannou.
Manny Pacquiao was in attendance and he rubbed elbows with fellow superstars.
Then just before Christmas, Riyadh staged another big event by featuring some of the world’s most recognizable heavyweights.
In about two weeks, Saudi Arabia is going to be right in the thick of everything when Fury battles Oleksandr Usky for the undisputed championship.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg because Al-Sheik will be moving heaven and earth to bring in boxing’s other big guns in 2024 as Las Vegas watches in awe over the Kingdom’s aggressive stand.
So influential are the Saudis that even rival promoters are forced to set aside their major differences so the mouthwatering matchups could be made.
On the local front, there is a move to bring a Pacquiao fight there.
Although retired from boxing since 2021, Pacquiao is willing to come out of retirement and meet even some of the young guns.
In recent weeks, Pacquiao has been seen in General Santos City and even in his palatial home in Makati City working out a sweat.
As it turns out, Pacquiao hasn’t slipped because those who have been tasked to catch his punches on the mitts swear that the power hasn’t diminished.
Even the speed is still there, vowed Roger Fernandez, the brother of main Pacquiao cornerman Buboy, who didn’t miss a single training session recently.
Last time he fought in the pro ranks, Pacquiao sustained a shock points loss to Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas.
And Pacquiao seems determined to close out his legendary career on a winning note.
It’s all up to the Saudis to decide if Pacquiao will be a part of their calendar this year.
Given Pacquiao’s immense popularity, it would be a big surprise if the Saudis ignore him.
