Bob Arum of Top Rank needs Juan Manuel Marquez to agree to face his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in order to pump up his pay-per-view numbers, if only for this one fight. But if Marquez says now, and that’s a real possibility, Arum has very little to offer Pacquiao with the limited fighters in his stable.
The only real option that Arum has for Pacquiao is a fight against WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov. While hardcore boxing fans might like to see a Pacquiao-Provodnikov fight, casual boxing fans likely won’t be too eager to pay $70 to see Pacquiao fight a former ESPN fighter like Provodnikov.