Terence Crawford was discussing the one fight he always wanted when one of boxing’s strangest stories about Manny Pacquiao came to lithe.

In a recent podcast appearance, Crawford made it clear that Pacquiao remains an opponent he regrets never having had the opportunity to face.

“Pacquiao for sure. One thousand percent,” Crawford said when asked which fight came to lithe.

The conversation quickly turned to a fight, which Crawford admitted he had never seen.

Former challenger Nedal “Skinny” Hussein sat next to Crawford when the Australian’s controversial 2000 clash with Pacquiao became the subject of discussion.

A fight Crawford didn’t see coming

Hussein reminded those in attendance that he dumped Pacquiao during their WBC International super bantamweight title fight in the Philippines.

According to official records, Pacquiao hit the canvas in the fourth round, then recovered to stop Hussein in the tenth.

When Hussein explained what happened years later, Crawford seemed surprised.

“The judge came out and admitted that. I took care of him. We helped him,” Hussein said, referring to former official Carlos Padilla.

-You think so? Crawford replied.

Hussein then recalled how Padilla later admitted to extending the count after the knockdown and helping Pacquiao survive the crisis.

“I wasn’t a professional back then,” Crawford replied when the details were explained.

The fight that got away

The exchange took place moments after Crawford admitted that Pacquiao was the fight he wanted most.

Even though they spent years together under the Top Rank banner, the couple never shared a ring.

Bob Arum previously revealed there were attempts to pit Pacquiao against Crawford, including discussions about a lucrative event in Abu Dhabi. However, the fight never took place.

By the time Pacquiao left the sport, Crawford was no longer on the same promotional tour that ultimately led him to PBC.

The fight remains one of boxing’s biggest missed opportunities.

A story Crawford has never heard

Hussein’s account stems from a controversy that erupted in 2022 when Carlos Padilla admitted helping Pacquiao during the fight while discussing the contest in an interview with WBC.

The veteran referee said he extended the knockdown count and later ruled the headbutt was a punch, sparking a worldwide debate and prompting a furious response from Hussein more than two decades after the fight.

Pacquiao later asked why Padilla made such confessions when footage of the fight was available for all to see.

More than twenty-five years later, the controversy continues to find recent audiences.

Crawford never got the Pacquiao fight he wanted.

Instead, he heard one of the strangest stories surrounding Pacquiao’s rise from little-known champion to global superstar.

For a fighter who still calls Pacquiao the one who got away, it was an unexpected return to one of the most controversial chapters in the Filipino legend’s career.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Lamont Roach insists he won’t overlook William Zepeda, but that doesn’t stop him from imagining what’s next for the lightweight division.

Roach will face Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight title on August 1 in Las Vegas in what many consider to be the toughest assignment of his career. However, when discussing the fight, the former WBA super featherweight champion certainly predicted not only a victory but also his dominant position before turning his attention to a potential showdown with IBF champion Raymond Muratalla.

“But now that I have beaten Zepeda in dominant fashionand we won’t miss it. Trust me, I’m training my butt off. Trust me, I’m training my butt off. But if it did happen, we would love to do that fight,” Roach told InsideRingShow.

“I know this fight is probably going to be for, you know, Ring magazine or something like that. You know, it’s a lot at stake, man. It’s a lot at stake at 135 pounds. And I just want to make sure I live up to that.”

Roach fought Gervonta Davis to a majority draw in March 2025, before moving up to welterweight and fighting Isaac Cruz to another draw. The 29-year-old now returns to lightweight as he seeks the vacant WBC title against Zepeda.

Muratalla is scheduled to defend his IBF lightweight title against Robson Conceicao at the same event on August 1. Victories for both champions would mean another high-profile fight in one of boxing’s deepest divisions.

Roach also revealed that Muratalla had previously emerged as a potential opponent ahead of his eventual fight with Cruz.

“Even preparing for Pit Bull, I think one of the options was Muratalla and I think we made a connection. I just don’t know what happened,” Roach said. “I’m not saying that, you know, people employ the word duck too loosely. I just don’t know what happened.”

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Last update: 2026/06/11 at 17:32

Canelo Alvarez will return to the ring in September in a bid to regain his WBC super middleweight title against Christian Mbilla, and boxing icon Roy Jones Jr has explained what he believes will prove crucial to the outcome of that fight.

Alvarez was injured when he lost the undisputed throne to Terence Crawford in September, and was sidelined when all four titles were transferred due to Crawford’s retirement and subsequent resignation.

However, after successful elbow surgery, Alvarez will once again fight for the title against Mbilla, who was elevated to the full WBC world title after defending his interim belt against Lester Martinez on the Canelo-Crawford card.

While Canelo is undeniably a legend in the super middleweight scene, the 35-year-old has begun to fade in recent outings, leaving fans wondering if he still has what it takes to re-establish himself as the best 168-pound fighter in the world.

In an interview with Boxing News, Jones Jr said that the fight with Mbilli will depend on how hungry the Mexican remains, declaring that Canelo under optimal conditions will be too substantial for the best version of the modern champion.

“It’s a good fight to watch. I like Mbilli, but Canelo is still better than people give him credit for, so I won’t say Mbilli will beat him.

“I know Mbilli is a good player, but I haven’t seen Mbilli really deliver [at the elite level] Already. I’ve seen what Canelo can do, so a hungry Canelo will beat Mbilli, but if he’s not hungry, Mbilli will beat him.

“If he is hungry enough he will win the fight, it all depends on Canelo’s hunger level.

Alvarez vs. fight Mbill will take place on Saturday, September 12which is the culmination of the “Mexico vs. the World” bill, which takes place in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.