by James Slater – It seems Manny Pacquaio’s days as a welterweight are over, for now at least, after just one bout at the weight. Hardly a shock, as the Filipino began his carer down at a mere 106 pounds, promoter Bob Arum, in an article on The Philippine Star, made this quite clear, stating that his fighter’s future bouts would take place at 140 “for sure..”
Arum also said Pacquiao would fight again in May next year, either on the 2nd or the 9th of the month. No opponent or venue has been decided yet, but fight fans will be hoping “Pac-Man” will face either Ricky Hatton or a returning Floyd Mayweather Junior. Either fight would be absolutely massive for the man who has just destroyed what is left of Oscar De La Hoya, in a result that practically no-one saw coming, and Arum says the choice is Manny’s.
“He [Pacquiao] will not compete at 147,” Arum stated. “The target date (for his next fight) is May, the 2nd or the 9th of May. I’m going to the Philippines on Monday to attend Manny’s (30th) birthday party, and we’ll have some preliminary discussions. The question is does Manny want a mega-fight in his next fight, or does he want a really good big fight.
“There are only two guys to do a mega-fight with: Hatton and Mayweather. There are a number of guys who you could do big fights with, but aren’t quite the status of mega-fight. One is Zab Judah. One thing is for sure, Manny is going to be fighting at 140 from now on.”
So, will Pacquiao choose a mega-fight, or just a really good big fight? We all know what we want him to choose, but that’s something else entirely. Is Pacquiao perhaps entitled to a somewhat easier (on paper) fight, after having had such a great year this year? It’s interesting that Arum should mention Zab Judah’s name. Would “Super” fit the bill as an opponent needed for a really good big fight? Another, better, question, should Judah land the fight, would be why does the Brooklyn fighter keep getting so many huge opportunities?
Would the fans be happy to pay to see a Pacquiao-Judah clash? Some would, of course, but what would the fight really mean for “Pac-Man” and his legacy. If another recent story is to be believed, Manny may only have as few as two or three more fights before retiring. Why waste one of these fights with a Judah bout? The fans want Pacquaio Vs. Hatton or Pacquiao Vs. Mayweather.
It’s now up to Arum and the Superstar from General Santos City to make these fights happen. Ricky has already said he’d love to face Pacquiao at 140; will “Money” also be willing to meet the pound-for-pound king at light-welterweight?