Robert Garcia backs Terence Crawford to beat prime Manny Pacquiao

Trainer and former world champion Robert Garcia has expressed his belief that Terence Crawford would defeat Manny Pacquiao at his peak. Garcia stated that the version of Crawford who secured victories over Errol Spence Jr and Canelo Alvarez would likely overcome the Filipino icon.

This hypothetical matchup follows a period in 2021 when the two fighters were close to a unification bout. At that time, Crawford held the WBO welterweight title while Pacquiao held the WBA title. A fight between them never occurred because Pacquiao was set to face Spence Jr before withdrawing due to a torn retina.

Following that setback, Pacquiao lost his WBA title to Yordenis Ugas during a period when he was no longer at his physical best. Crawford, however, was entering his prime. He eventually stopped Spence Jr in nine rounds before moving up to the 168lb division. In September, Crawford became a three-division undisputed champion by defeating Canelo Alvarez.

While Crawford's peak is often linked to his run of eight stoppages at welterweight, Pacquiao's prime is more difficult to define. Many observers point to his 2009 second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton at 140lbs as his most destructive display. Pacquiao also secured a 12th-round stoppage against Miguel Cotto to claim the WBO title shortly after that performance.