By Jake Donovan

At the very least, Manny Pacquiao is keeping busy while awaiting word on whether or not a long-exhausted awaited showdown with Floyd Mayweather materializes. The Filipino superstar has traveled the globe in the past few days, with his whirlwind tour making a stop in sunny Miami, Florida, where he served as a guest judge for the 63rd Miss Universe pageant.

Pacquiao was one of 10 celebrities picked to judge the competition, and one of three athletes, joining National Football League (NFL) all-Pro wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Major League Baseball (MLB) home run slugger Giancarlo Stanton, a local favorite as an outfielder for the Florida (Miami) Marlins.

The thrill of being a judge during the live telecast didn’t come with an overwhelming amount of screen time. Pacquiao’s on-air involvement was limited to his being introduced as the last of the 10 judges in the beginning of the show, and then given the opportunity to ask one question to a contestant – Miss USA – more than two hours into the telecast.

Miss Colombia (Paulina Vega) was ultimately crowned Miss Universe, with Miss USA (Nia Sanchez) named top runner-up.

Pacquiao made the trip to South Beach following a three-day stay in London, England. Included on his list of activities were a visit with Prince Harry and also an in-person discussion with former gymmate and current welterweight hopeful Amir Khan about a fight between the two serving as Plan B if and when talks for a Mayweather clash once again hit a wall.

Coincidentally, Pacquiao’s visit with Prince Harry came on the same night that Mayweather was heckled by fans while sitting courtside for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers’ win over the Brooklyn Nets. Mayweather frequently attends Clippers games, but on this particular night was the subject of public scorn as alternating chants of “Fight Pacquiao” and “We Want Pacquiao” filled the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Pacquiao is likely to return to Philippines – where he is in his second term as Congressman – while waiting along with everyone else while Showtime and HBO either figure out a way to split the pot between them to make a Mayweather fight a reality, or just pull the plug altogether and forever put everyone out of their misery.

Should the fight be made – and an announcement one way or another is expected (or at least hoped for) by no later than the end of this week – it will land May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Otherwise, Pacquiao will be steered towards a May 30 HBO Pay-Per-View headliner, with Khan being leaked as the frontrunner, though also very much in the hunt for a showdown with Mayweather in early May.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox