Pacquiao Will Not Be on the Fury-Joshua Card in Cardiff

Manny Pacquiao will not fight on the Dec. 11 Fury vs. Joshua card in Cardiff, according to BoxingScene and BBC Sport. Netflix, Queensberry Promotions and Riyadh Season have not issued a public statement of their own.

Lance Pugmire of BoxingScene, writing Nov. 11 and recirculated on the outlet's social accounts Saturday, said an official close to the situation confirmed Pacquiao is off the bill and may settle on an early-2027 opponent within a week. BBC Sport, on Nov. 13, reported that hopes of a Joe Cordina vs. Pacquiao fight on the Netflix show appear over, and that Pacquiao is leaning toward an early-2027 date, with an announcement expected soon.

That lines up with what Eddie Hearn already told iFL TV. "I know that Pacquiao is not on the card," Hearn said, as reported Nov. 2 by Boxing News and the next day by Seconds Out. Hearn added that Matchroom was ready with Cordina and that it was up to Turki Alalshikh.

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Pacquiao, 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts according to BoxingScene, turns 48 on Dec. 17. BoxingScene reported that talks with Shakur Stevenson stalled over eight-figure purses, after which a less-expensive date with Cordina also fell through. BBC Sport writes that Cordina had agreed terms, but Pacquiao had not reciprocated, and that Hearn has lined up a big January fight for the Welshman. BoxingScene has also linked Conor Benn among possible early-2027 opponents; that Benn link is BoxingScene's reporting, not a confirmed booking. Benn has previously said he turned down a December date with Pacquiao and was open to the first quarter of 2027.

The confirmed undercard so far, per BBC Sport, is Deontay Wilder vs. Jai Opetaia, Da'Mazion Vanhouter vs. Michael Essomba, and Martin Bakole vs. Solomon Adebayo, alongside the Fury-Joshua main event. BBC noted that Turki Alalshikh has said the Dec. 11 card is not yet finalized. We have already covered the Bakole and Vanhouter additions.

We first flagged the BoxingScene report in a Nov. 12 rumor item, and Hearn's complaint that Cordina was left off the bill in a separate piece the same day.

The Kimster's Take

The offices that actually put this card together have not said a word. What we have is a well-placed BoxingScene source, the BBC, and Hearn on the record two weeks ago. That is enough to write it as news that Pacquiao is not fighting in Cardiff on Dec. 11. It is not the same thing as Netflix, Queensberry or Riyadh Season closing the book in public. If Pacquiao names a 2027 opponent next week, that will be the real announcement.

Want more on this card? The main event's ring walks may not start until about 1 a.m., and a Nov. 25 Cardiff council hearing decides that. If you've got a feeling about Fury vs. Joshua, put your pick in Fight Picker before Dec. 11.