Manny Pacquiao could become the biggest addition to the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua undercard, but there is still a significant difference between being discussed and being booked. Eddie Hearn has named Jack Catterall, Conah Walker, Lewis Crocker and Joe Cordina as possible opponents for Pacquiao on the December 11 event at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. According to Boxing News 24, Hearn said Matchroom could supply one of those fighters if organizers want to feature Pacquiao. That is a shortlist, not an announcement. Netflix has confirmed that Fury-Joshua will stream globally and says marquee fighters will be added to the undercard later. Its official event page does not currently list Pacquiao, and no opponent, contracted weight, purse, round limit or sanctioning status has been announced for him. Those missing details will determine what kind of attraction is actually being considered. Pacquiao’s name can produce immediate global interest. His record and championship history guarantee that any proposed return will receive attention. But reputation alone cannot establish whether a Cardiff appearance would represent meaningful professional competition, an exhibition or a nostalgia-driven special attraction. The opponent will matter. The weight and rules will matter just as much.

 

Hearn Has Supplied Names Without Controlling the Undercard

 

Hearn’s comments created several possible matchups while confirming none of them. The Matchroom chairman offered Catterall, Walker, Crocker or Cordina as potential opposition if the Fury-Joshua organizers need somebody for Pacquiao. Hearn also acknowledged that he does not control the undercard, although he said Matchroom has an agreement allowing it to place fighters on the event. That limitation is important. Hearn can identify available fighters and publicly argue for their inclusion. He cannot independently confirm Pacquiao’s participation or select the final opponent unless the parties controlling the event agree.

World Boxing News has separately reported that Pacquiao remains under consideration for the Cardiff card and named Amir Khan, Cordina and Danny Garcia among the proposed opponents. The outlet said it contacted Pacquiao adviser Sean Gibbons for clarification but had not received confirmation when its report was published.

 

Every one of those matchups therefore remains speculative. The list also includes very different competitive products. A fight involving an active contender would raise questions about Pacquiao’s current ability to compete at a demanding professional level. A meeting with another established veteran could rely more heavily on shared history, recognition and nostalgia. Neither model is automatically illegitimate. The problem would come from marketing one while delivering the other. Hearn also said he understands Pacquiao has “some kind of agreement” with Sela, according to Boxing News 24. No contract or direct confirmation from Pacquiao, Sela, Netflix or the event organizers was cited in the reviewed reporting, so that claim remains unconfirmed.

For now, Pacquiao is a possibility attached to a major platform. He is not an officially announced undercard fighter.

 

Joe Cordina Shows Why the Contracted Weight Cannot Be an Afterthought

 

Cordina may be the most natural promotional fit among Hearn’s suggestions because the event is taking place in Wales.

Hearn said he wants Cordina on the Cardiff card because he is a two-time world champion from Wales. That connection could give the local audience another recognizable fighter while placing Cordina on a globally streamed event. The Pacquiao matchup is considerably less developed than the idea might initially suggest. Hearn acknowledged that he has not discussed a fight at 147 pounds with Cordina. He said 140 pounds would be feasible for the Welsh fighter, but no contracted limit has been reported.

That is not a minor detail to be addressed after the names generate attention.

 

Pacquiao’s latest professional appearance took place at welterweight. Cordina’s potential involvement would require the parties to determine whether the proposed weight is appropriate, achievable and competitively responsible for both fighters. A famous name paired with a hometown attraction does not become a sensible fight until the physical terms make sense. There is also another possibility for Cordina. Boxing News 24 reported that Matchroom has proposed Cordina against Abdullah Mason to Sela, while Pacquiao-Cordina remains an idea Hearn raised publicly. Hearn identified both Pacquiao and Mason as possible opponents, but neither fight is official. Those options would ask very different questions of Cordina.

 

A Pacquiao fight would carry enormous recognition and place him opposite one of the sport’s most accomplished names. A Mason matchup would create a different competitive and promotional challenge. Until an agreement is reached, there is no basis for treating either route as selected. The uncertainty surrounding Cordina illustrates the larger Pacquiao problem. It is easy to assemble a list of recognizable names. It is harder to produce a matchup in which the weight, rules, competitive level and timing all support the same story. Matchmaking provides the answer. Name recognition only creates the question.

 

Pacquiao’s Draw With Mario Barrios Offers Evidence but Not a Complete Answer

 

Pacquiao’s most recent professional result is relevant because it gives the discussion something more substantial than memory.

Premier Boxing Champions lists his record at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts. According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Pacquiao fought WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios to a 12-round majority draw on July 19, 2025. The official scores were 114-114, 113-115 and 114-114. The commission recorded Pacquiao at 146.8 pounds and Barrios at 146.2 pounds. That result demonstrated that Pacquiao could complete a 12-round professional contest at welterweight and remain competitive enough to produce a majority draw in 2025. It is meaningful evidence when evaluating whether another professional appearance should be taken seriously. It does not settle the suitability of every proposed fight in 2026. Different opponents create different physical and tactical demands. A fighter’s performance against Barrios cannot automatically predict how he would handle Catterall, Walker, Crocker, Cordina, Khan or Garcia. The contracted weight would further shape the comparison.

 

The draw should neither be dismissed nor stretched beyond what it proved. Pacquiao did not return only for an exhibition and a ceremonial appearance. He competed over a full professional distance and received two even scorecards. That supports the idea that a legitimate continuation of his comeback is possible. The next matchup still has to justify itself. A credible active opponent at a sensible weight, under clearly defined professional rules, would allow Pacquiao’s Cardiff appearance to be evaluated as competition. A veteran rematch or exhibition could still attract a major audience, but it would belong in a different category. The promotion should identify that category honestly.

 

The Mayweather Postponement Created Space, Not a Confirmed Cardiff Deal

 

Pacquiao’s possible appearance has gained momentum following the postponement of another familiar attraction. World Boxing News reported that a proposed rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather had been targeted for Netflix before being postponed in September. The outlet subsequently reported that Netflix remained interested in featuring Pacquiao, helping create the possibility of placing him on the Fury-Joshua event. A delayed Mayweather rematch does not automatically transfer Pacquiao to Cardiff. It only creates an opening. The recent denial of another rumored matchup shows why caution is necessary. Dana White rejected reports of a Pacquiao-Shakur Stevenson fight, telling reporters, “That’s not true” and saying he did not know where the story began, according to Boxing News. That episode demonstrates how quickly a recognizable pairing can circulate before the people involved confirm that meaningful discussions ever took place.

 

The same standard should apply to the Cardiff possibilities. Hearn naming four available fighters does not mean offers have been accepted. World Boxing News naming additional candidates does not establish active negotiations. Netflix promising marquee undercard fighters does not confirm Pacquiao. An official announcement needs more than two names. It should establish whether the bout is professional or an exhibition, identify the contracted weight and round limit, clarify the relevant commission and sanctioning status, and confirm the opponent. Purse information may remain private, but the sporting terms cannot be treated as optional. Those details would answer the central question surrounding Pacquiao’s possible return.

 

Is Netflix presenting a serious continuation of the comeback demonstrated against Barrios?

Or is it building a global attraction around the memory of what Pacquiao represented at his peak?

 

Either approach could find an audience. They should not be evaluated as though they are the same product.

 

REAL TALK

 

Boxing frequently sells the attraction before defining the competition. A legendary name creates headlines immediately. The opponent, weight, rules and stakes are often introduced later, as though they are technical details surrounding the main event rather than the facts that determine what the event actually means. They are not secondary. Pacquiao’s record explains why Netflix could want him on one of its biggest boxing broadcasts. His draw with Barrios provides recent evidence that he was capable of competing across 12 professional rounds at welterweight in 2025. Neither fact makes every possible opponent appropriate. Catterall, Walker, Crocker and Cordina offer different challenges. Khan and Garcia would create a different type of attraction. The suitability of any matchup would depend on the contracted terms and the competitive condition of both fighters.

The sport does not have to stop celebrating its legends. It does have to distinguish a professional contest from an exhibition and a competitive comeback from a nostalgia event. That distinction protects the fighters and gives the audience an honest basis for evaluating what it is being asked to watch. Pacquiao can remain the draw. The opponent defines the test. The terms reveal whether Netflix is selling a fight or a memory.

 

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

 

Which proposed opponent would make Manny Pacquiao’s possible Cardiff appearance feel like a legitimate professional fight rather than a nostalgia attraction?

 

And should Netflix prioritize the most recognizable matchup available, or the opponent and weight that create the most credible competition?