Manny Pacquiao vs Shakur Stevenson in Talks for Fury-Joshua Cardiff Card
A 47-year-old legend and a 29-year-old rising star could share the Cardiff bill with Fury vs Joshua.
The Fury vs Joshua card in Cardiff could get even bigger. Manny Pacquiao and Shakur Stevenson remain in active negotiations for a bout on the December 11 Netflix event at Principality Stadium, per Boxing News 24.
Neither fighter has received a signed bout agreement. Pacquiao's adviser Jas Mathur told reporters that "Pacquiao's financial terms are still being negotiated." No weight class, round count, or title implications have been announced.
The matchup would pit two generations against each other. Pacquiao, now 47, returned to the ring in July 2025 and fought to a draw with Mario Barrios. Shakur Stevenson, 29, defeated Teofimo Lopez in January and subsequently signed with Zuffa Boxing. He has not fought since, a layoff that has frustrated fans and the fighter himself.
The age gap, nearly two decades, raises real questions about what a win over Pacquiao does for Stevenson's legacy. Boxing News 24 noted that the matchup could be seen as a lose-lose for the younger fighter: beat a 47-year-old legend and nobody is impressed, lose and your stock craters.
Still, on a card headlined by Fury vs Joshua with Netflix footing the bill, the exposure alone could make it worth Stevenson's while. Pacquiao remains one of the most famous athletes on the planet, and sharing the ring with him in a stadium setting is a payday most fighters never get.
I have been hard on the Shakur Stevenson layoff situation, and this does not fix it. Fighting a 47-year-old Manny Pacquiao is not the fight that proves you are elite. Stevenson needs real challenges at 135 or 140, not a nostalgia bout.
That said, I get it from a business perspective. If you are Shakur and Zuffa Boxing is not lining up the fights you want, a massive Netflix payday on the Fury-Joshua undercard is hard to turn down. The exposure is insane. And Pacquiao, even at 47, is still Pacquiao. He is not going in there to lie down.
My concern is simple: if Stevenson wins, nobody cares. If he loses, it sets his career back years. The risk-reward is lopsided. I would rather see him fight someone in his prime who can actually test him. But money talks, and Cardiff is going to be electric regardless.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/09/manny-pacquiao-and-shakur-stevenson-remain-in-cardiff-talks/
