Dana White shuts down Pacquiao vs Shakur Stevenson rumors

White denies reported matchup ahead of Fury vs Joshua

Dana White clearly wants nothing to do with the rumors about a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shakur Stevenson. When a reporter brought up the possible matchup at a press conference, White cut him off fairly quickly and said:

“Yeah, that’s not true. Not true. No. I don’t know where that came from”

The question followed a report stating that Netflix was planning to feature the two fighters on the undercard of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. At that point, however, neither fighter had received an offer. White didn’t clarify whether negotiations had even taken place; he simply rejected the fight outright. From a sporting perspective, the fight wouldn’t make as much sense as initially assumed. Manny Pacquiao will turn 48 in December and is nowhere near the level he once was. Shakur Stevenson is 29 years old and should focus instead on other opponents who would offer him more in the event of a victory. Furthermore, weight would be another major issue. Manny Pacquiao last fought at welterweight, while Shakur Stevenson now competes at light welterweight. It would certainly be a fight that would draw a large audience, but it might also bore viewers at some point. Manny Pacquiao is no longer as fast or as active as he once was, and Shakur Stevenson rarely takes risks. December 11 is supposed to be all about entertainment and action-packed fights, but this one could end up being rather boring. If you just look at the names, it would have been a great matchup with plenty of reach and a big audience. But if you focus more on the athletic aspect, it doesn’t make much sense. White is certain that he expects relatively little from this matchup. What do you think?

At first, I would have definitely been excited about the matchup, but when you look at it from a sporting perspective, it actually makes more sense not to schedule a fight between the two. Instead, I'm really curious to see what will be on the undercard for December 11.