by James Slater – There’s no doubt about it, the next man we want to see the superb Manny Pacquiao get in the ring with is the boxer he took over from at the top of the pound-for-pound charts; Floyd Mayweather Junior. Enough has already been written about how much boxing needs this mega, mega-fight. All we can do now is hope the fight gets made.
However, if for any reason (and there could well be a few) the fight doesn’t happen, Pacquiao and Mayweather will have to move on and find someone else to fight. In regards to the man of the moment, Pacquiao, who would he possibly be interested in, and who would you be interested in, him fighting instead of “Money?”
An intriguing welterweight unification bout will take place in January, as WBA champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley and his WBC counterpart, Andre Berto will clash in Las Vegas, the site of Pacquiao’s great fight with and even greater win over Miguel Cotto.. How much motivation would “Pac-Man” get from a chance to beat either Mosley or Berto and add two more belts to his WBO 147-pound crown?
Sure, Pacquiao Vs. either Mosley or Berto would be a poor second to Manny Vs. Floyd, but as a secondary option, such a match-up would be as good as could be found. Mosley has called out Pacquiao a number of times already, and the young and ambitious Berto would surely like the fight also. Mosley even offered to come in at a catch-weight of 143-pounds to get a fight with the pound-for-pound king, and it’s possible Pacquiao would want another fight just below 147 next (another possible reason why the Mayweather fight could fall apart).
Berto is big for a welterweight, but for as much money as a fight with Pacquiao would net him, it’s probable that he too would agree to drop a couple of pounds. Or maybe by next summer, Manny will have added even more muscle to his frame, and he will be willing to box a welterweight at the full welterweight limit. Either way, if Mayweather is out (please, no!) the Mosley-Berto winner is the most attractive option for him; in my opinion anyway.
As to who that winner will be, I go for Mosley, even though he’s 38 and will have been out of action for a solid year by the time he climbs through the ropes inside The Mandalay Bay Arena to meet his unbeaten, 26-year-old rival. So, if my prediction of a “Sugar” victory turns out to be correct, could we see either Pacquiao-Mosley or Pacquiao-Mayweather next summer?
Though it’s “Money” we all want, a battle with Mosley would also be some damned good fight for Pacquiao to take. The welterweight division has never looked this good since the days of Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns!