In a span of days we’ve traded the Manny Pacquiao fight that everyone wanted to see for the Manny Pacquiao fight that nobody has cared about since it was first proposed.
As we noted yesterday on Opposing Views, talks for a Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. showdown effectively died this weekend because of both fighters’ stubbornness and inflexibility. Pacquiao reneged on a public offer he made back in December to give Mayweather the lion’s share of the purse in the event of a potential superfight, and Mayweather got eerily quiet when Pacquiao called his bluff and actually agreed to the fight pending a 50-50 split.
Both men are responsible for this fight not occurring in May as most hoped it would, and both men have let down boxing fans everywhere with their non-stop stupid games. (Again).
Predictably, talk has now turned to who each guy will fight next. While Mayweather has kept his next opponent pretty close to the vest, Pacquiao’s camp wasted no time in floating potential targets out there for public approval/condemnation.
This past weekend, we reported on Opposing Views that Pacquiao’s back-up plan to Mayweather all along had apparently been Miguel Cotto. Although he’s still a very likely candidate, talks with him hit a slight snag recently when a dispute arose over what weight he’d have to fight Pacquiao at.
That minor bump in the road has given new life to another potential showdown – Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley. You might remember that Pacquiao vs. Bradley was a bout that everyone foresaw coming when the latter fighter signed with Top Rank late last year. You might also remember that nobody wanted to see that fight because Pacquiao is so much better than Bradley that it wouldn’t even be fair. Well, if Pacquiao and Cotto’s camps don’t begin to inch their way towards some progress soon, that unfortunate match-up is where we’re headed.
As per Nick Giongco of Manila Bulletin:
Manny Pacquiao has narrowed down his choice to Miguel Cotto and Tim Bradley after being told that it’s becoming hopeless to aspire for a super showdown with Floyd Mayweather in the near future.
Pacquiao told the Bulletin that Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is working hard to put a deal in place for a June 9 fight in Las Vegas and that while Cotto is the lead candidate to land the lucrative payday, Bradley is not far behind.
Making a deal for a Cotto fight, however, has hit a wall after the Puerto Rican insisted that he is not willing to give in to Pacquiao’s demand that he drop to 147 lbs, saying he can go down not lower than 150 lbs because it’s been a while since he fought below 150 lbs.
So there you go.
It’s also being reported that Pacquiao and his people are working towards a fourth match against Juan Manuel Marquez for November. As per Ernesto Castellanos of Boxing Scene:
Before Marquez commits to any move, he wants a contract agreement that guarantees him a November fight with Pacquiao [or the winner of Pacquiao's June fight].
"Before I accept an agreement, it must include a fight against Pacquiao. Otherwise I will not sign it. I will not serve as a stepping stone for others," Marquez said.
A fourth fight against Marquez in November, of course, would mean that there will be no first fight against Mayweather in November.
Shocking.
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I'am expecting to hear who Floyd Joy's next opponent is first since he's scheduled to fight before Manny.
There Can Be Only One.
I'am not a bit Shock, What would really be Shocking is when the fight ACTUALLY happens, anyway I flip a quarter up in the air and said to myself " if it's heads it's Bradley and if it's tails it's Cotto. " The quarter landed showing heads. I have nothing against Bradley but Manny " Watch out for the HEADBUTTS." Alex, please keep an update on the 40,000 seater, Bob Arum is planning to built for the rich and famous to watch the Megafight..Thank You.
There Can Be Only One.