By Rob Smith: Trainer Freddie Roach is still hoping that 35-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr. will perk up and show some interest in facing 34-year-old Manny Pacquiao before it’s too late. It’s not looking good, however. Pacquiao just lost his last fight to Tim Bradley, and he could lose this one on Saturday against Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s not to say that a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight couldn’t still get made and end up as successful one, but it won’t get the attention that it would if they made the fight with both guys still winning more or less.
Roach said to Sky Sports News “I think Manny has some good fights in him. We still want the Mayweather fight to happen. We are kind of waiting for him to come round, but if he doesn’t there are other fights out there.”
Getting Mayweather in the ring may prove difficult unless he sees this as truly as the best option for him. If Mayweather’s struggle to beat Miguel Cotto isn’t a big enough reason for him to get a sense of urgency to make the Pacquiao fight soon then I don’t know what will. Mayweather’s skills are definitely deteriorating and he’s got tough challenges all around him no matter which way he looks. Pacquiao might be the best option for him because if he tries to fight Saul Alvarez, Mayweather is probably going to lose that fight. Mayweather can always agree to fight WBC interim welterweight champion Robert Guerrero next, but that’s hardly a big named opponent.
It’ll do well on pay per view because of Mayweather’s name, but the competition will get much tougher after this fight for Mayweather. He really needs to think hard about making the Pacquiao fight before someone beats him or Pacquiao. Another loss for Pacquiao will destroy interest in a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. After all, who wants to see a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao with Pacquiao having lost his last two fights? You can arguably make that three straight losses for Pacquiao because his win over Marquez last year looked like a loss rather an actual win. Pacquiao is clearly fading as well. Tim Bradley exposed that, as well as Marquez. Pacquiao is only 34, but he’s fighting like someone at least four years older than that not.
The other fights, at least the one that Bob Arum is looking to put together next April against Brandon Rios, is hardly an interesting fight. That’s more of a club fight between two Top Rank fighters. Rios still hasn’t redeemed himself from his very questionable decision win over Richard Abril from April of this year. Rios beat Mike Alvarado, but that guy had already gone life and death with Breidis Prescott just last year and looked horrible. Rios stands no chance against Pacquiao and that’s not a good fight.