Now would be a good time to start.
Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey - the last three opponents – allowed Pacman to showcase his iconic skills. But little else.
All were inferior foes, with little chance of winning. Two of the three, Mosley and Clottey, apparently didn’t understand why they were there.
Mosley, last weekend at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, seemed more interested in touching gloves and being Pacquiao’s pal than punching him in the face.
Clottey retreated into a tortoise-like shell when he opposed Pacquiao a year ago at Cowboys Stadium.
Neither Mosley or Clottey seemed to have any intention of fighting. Only surviving, and cashing a paycheck.
In truth, Pacquiao’s legion of fans likely would pay to see their hero fight a ghost, just for the chance to see him in the ring.
But enough is enough.
Greatness isn’t greatness unless it is tested against the best a sport has to offer.
Magic Johnson needed Larry Bird. Bill Russell needed Wilt Chamberlain. Muhammad Ali needed Joe Frazier.
Pacquiao is 32 and in his prime, a prime that shouldn’t be wasted on B-list fighters.
There is one guy out there who could solve all this. It could be argued that Pacquiao is merely biding his time until Floyd Mayweather Jr. wakes up and comes to his rapidly fading senses.
It would be the richest fight in history. Followed, in all likelihood, by the richest rematch in history.
But that scenario, sadly, seems less likely than ever.
So who should Pacquiao’s next opponent be?
A variety of names have come up, including Zab Judah, Timothy Bradley Juan Manuel Marquez.
Judah is a slick southpaw with power who is enjoying a career renaissance, but he has a history of meltdowns on the big stage.
Bradley is considered a star in the making. He doesn’t have great name recognition, but he’s young, hungry and talented – ample traits to build a promotion around generate pay-per-view sales.
Marquez appears to be the frontrunner and reportedly has already signed an offer sheet from Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promoter.
This would be the third fight between the two (the first ended in a draw, while Pacquiao won the second by split decision). The big hurdle here would be weight. Marquez, who typically fights at 135, fought Mayweather at 142 in 2009 and looked slow.
A catch weight of 144 of 145 reportedly is under consideration.
But Golden Boy Promotions still retains the rights to Marquez and can match any offer he receives. This could create problems, as Golden Boy and Top Rank have been feuding for some time.
Floyd returning? Don’t look now, but Mayweather apparently is making noise about a return to the ring. Not against Pacquiao, but Victor Ortiz.
Boxrec.com reported the fight would take place Sept. 17 at Cowboys Stadium. Mayweather is said to have met with Jerry Jones during Super Bowl XLV, but during negotiations for the Ortiz fight sources say Mayweather’s financial demands were too rich even for Jones’ blood.
Still, this has to be seen as good news. A Pacquiao- Mayweather fight is still a long way off, but the fact that Floyd is even pondering a comeback means there’s still hope.
jwhisler@express-news.net
Source: mysanantonio.com
No comments:
Post a Comment