Who will Manny Pacquiao fight next – Mike Alvarado? Lucas Matthysse?

There are a couple of names being bandied around as possible comeback foes for Manny Pacquiao, who is not done yet with boxing even though he will turn 40 before the year is out. Now that we can forget (for the time being) about a Pacquiao challenge of current P-4-P king Vasyl Lomachenko, two other names appear to have more of a realistic shot at getting in there with Pac-Man this spring: Mike Alvarado and Lucas Matthysse.

Matthysse, who won a brand new world title this past Saturday, has had his name mentioned, nothing close to concrete, but “The Machine” is very much interested in a rumble with Pacquiao and he is not alone in wanting to see the fight happen. While Alvarado is said to be the “frontrunner” to get it on with the 39 year old living legend in his next bout.

According to a news bit via RingTV.com, Alvarado is most certainly “a possibility” to land the fight – this according to Bob Arum.

“Yeah, [Alvarado] is a possibility,” Arum told Ring when he was asked if the sources who informed the publication that Alvarado was in the frame. “I’ve spoken to Manny and we’re working on getting him back in the ring in the spring.”

According further to the bit on Ring, there is a possibility Pacquiao-Alvarado could be presented as the co-feature to the April 14 clash between WBO welterweight champ (and Pacquiao conqueror) Jeff Horn and unbeaten former 140 pound boss Terence Crawford. If this turns out to be the case fight fans might not grumble too much. But no-one will be expecting too much from Pacquiao-Alvarado.

37 year old Alvarado, 38-4(26) was once a terrific action fighter, at elite level, yet that was a long time ago and even if “Mile High” is younger than Pacquiao, he sure isn’t anyway near as fresh. In fact, Alvarado could be described as “shot,” “damaged goods,” even. No-one will ever question Alvarado’s sheer fighting heart or courage – and he has won his last four since returning from his bad rubber-match loss to Brandon Rios in early 2015 – but many fans are already calling this possibility of a fight a “massacre” or a “slaughter.”

Alvarado, if he does get the fight, will give it his best, but it seems the best we can hope for is a furious couple of rounds or so. Does Pacquiao feel he needs a “gimme” with which to return to action with?