Eddie Hearn says terms are agreed for a Cordina Pacquiao fight — from Joe Cordina's side, at least. Speaking to reporters, the promoter confirmed his team had settled the deal, then immediately qualified it. "But we don't know if that's happening," Hearn said. "From our side, we've agreed to do it."
That gap between agreed and scheduled is the story. No date, venue or broadcaster has been confirmed, and the report treats the bout as a possibility rather than a signed fight. For Manny Pacquiao it would be a second comeback appearance. For Cordina it would be the biggest name on his record.
Cordina Pacquiao fight linked to December heavyweight card
ESPN reported the bout could be placed on the undercard of the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua heavyweight clash in December. That is the practical attraction: a card of that size would carry a smaller fight to an audience it could not draw alone.
The calendar is the obstacle. The source notes the event is less than two months away, which leaves little room for a bout that has not been formally announced. A fight added to a card that large would normally need to be finalised well before fight week.
Joe Cordina brings a 19-1 record and one defeat
Cordina, 34, is 19 wins and one loss as a professional, with nine of those victories coming by knockout. The 5-foot-9 fighter from Cardiff, Wales, held the International Boxing Federation featherweight title and lost it to Anthony Cacace in 2024 — the only defeat on his record.
The report describes Cordina's name as newly floated for the Pacquiao fight. At 34, with a title reign already behind him, he is at the stage where a bout of this profile would carry more weight than another ranking fight. That is an assessment of the opportunity, not a claim about his intentions.
It also explains why one side moving quickly does not settle anything. Terms can be agreed in one office and stall in another, and Hearn's wording leaves the second office unnamed.
Manny Pacquiao's last fight was a draw with Mario Barrios
Pacquiao, the Filipino eight-division world champion, returned to the ring last year and settled for a controversial majority draw against Mario Barrios. He was then supposed to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. once again, but that bout was postponed indefinitely.
Two Pacquiao comeback plans have now reached the talking stage without being confirmed. The pattern is consistent: names surface, terms are discussed, and nothing is announced. The Barrios draw remains his most recent result in the source.
What to watch before any announcement
The source does not identify who is negotiating on Pacquiao's behalf, and Hearn's comments cover only Cordina's side. Confirmation would have to come from Pacquiao's team or from the promoters of the December heavyweight card.
Until then, treat the bout as unconfirmed. The signals worth tracking are a formal announcement of the December card and any statement from Pacquiao's representatives. Neither appears in the source, and the source offers no date for when either might arrive.
The original report was published by philstar.com.