Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and the undefeated Errol Spence Jr. have finally signed contracts for a super fight set to take place on August 21, 2021. 

The true WBA welterweight champion and the only man in the history of boxing to ever hold titles across eight separate divisions, Pacquiao had been in discussions with the WBC and IBF welterweight champ Spence Jr for several months.

Thankfully for fight fans, the two men have now agreed to duke it out in Las Vegas.  

At 27-0, Spence Jr. represents Pacquiao's toughest in-ring competition since the Pride of the Philippines came up short against Floyd Mayweather in 2015. 

To beat a prime Spence Jr., Pacquiao will need to put in a performance similar to the one he did when facing Keith Thurman, a fighter ten years his junior, in his last fight. Pacquiao snatched away the much-fancied Thurman's WBA welterweight title, deservedly, via a split decision. 

In a somewhat controversial move, however, the World Boxing Association selected Yordenis Ugas to replace Pac Man as the WBA champion in January of this year after the Filipino boxing legend's near 18 months of inactivity. The WBA then labelled Pacquiao 'a champion in recess.' 

Spence Jr.'s last fight came against the conqueror of Britain's own Amir Khan, Danny Garcia.

Spence Jr. won the fight courtesy of a unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards, retaining his WBC and IBF straps in the process. 

Pacquiao will be hoping for better luck with the Spence Jr. showdown after his last fight with Terence Crawford ended up iced. In an interview with BoxingScene.com just last month, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said that an agreement was in place for a Pacquiao vs Crawford bout on June 5 in Abu Dhabi, but that the fight fell apart due to a lack of funding. 

“Look, what happened to us in Abu Dhabi was we had signed contracts and everything and they were supposed to put up the money,” Arum said.

“Well, I’ve been waiting two weeks for the money. Nobody put up the money after promising they would.”

Nevertheless, Spence Jr. vs Pac-Man is absolutely the better fight to make, so boxing fans win as a result of the financial breakdown of Pacquiao vs Crawford.

Call it fate; call it destiny; call it what you will - Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr. on August 21, 2021, looks set to be one for the ages. And I, for one, cannot wait.