Bob Arum says Manny Pacquiao will continue boxing until June 2017

Top Rank chief and promoter Bob Arum has revealed that legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao will continue fighting until June 2017. Pacquiao, who retired from the sport to join politics, made a comeback on 5 November beating American Jessie Vargas via unanimous decision (114-113, 118-111, 118-111) to win the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) welterweight title.

While fans and experts continue to speculate Pacquiao's next move, Arum confirmed that the 37-year-old would fight until mid-2017.

"Manny's next fight could be as late as June. He's going to fight twice a year, so if he fights in June and fights in November, that's OK. And I want to get away from the cards that are on pay-per-view that shouldn't be pay-per-view," Arum said, as quoted by Philstar Global.

The boxer, who usually holds his bouts in April or May, has promised not let the sport affect his duties as a politician and will make sure that no fights coincide with senate sessions.

While no opponent for his next fight has yet been chosen as yet, undefeated World Boxing Championship (WBC) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) super lightweight champion Terence Crawford has been touted as the favourite to fight him next.

Nonetheless, Arum revealed that there is one fight they will look to prioritize above all others and that is the rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In the past, Pacquiao has also expressed his desire to fight Mayweather in a money-spinning rematch, however, the American is yet to respond and has remained unusually silent on whether he will return to boxing. Arum is ready to talk with Mayweather if he decides to return, but as of now he believes there is a very slim chance of that happening.

"I'm not holding my breath. But obviously if Floyd decides to come back and wants to fight Manny, that's the fight we would work on. But there's no indication that that's the case," the promoter added.