By Michael Collins: I’m not longer even considering the remote option of WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 5th. That’s not going to happen no matter how many times Mayweather calls Pacquiao on the phone. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, trainer Freddie Roach and personal advisor Michael Koncz all dislike the idea of Pacquiao fighting that soon.
They want to see the completion of the Manny stadium in Las Vegas, also known as the 38,000 seat area that Arum is having built on the old site of the Frontier hotel on the Vegas strip. Arum was having it built for a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, but with Mayweather unable to budge from his May 5th fight date at the MGM Grand, it leaves Arum no choice but to use the stadium for a fight with Pacquiao and one of the lucky four opponents that are waiting to get picked out in the mini Pacquiao lottery.
That’s a big arena for boxing and it’s going to take a big named star to get even close to filling it. Two of the candidates that Arum has picked as possible options for Pacquiao – Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson – aren’t big enough names to bring in fans. Those aren’t super exciting fighters and it’s going to hurt with the sales. Since Arum insisted in having a huge arena built rather than setting for a smaller venue like the 17,000 seat MGM Grand, Arum is going to have to pick his Top Rank stable fighter Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 Ko’s) for the Pacquiao fight due to Cotto’s popularity and ability to bring in fans.
He’s not a big Vegas attraction but he’s still more popular than Peterson or Bradley. The other option is Juan Manuel Marquez, who is quite popular and would bring in likely more fans than Cotto because of the large Mexican community in the Vegas and LA area. However, Marquez won’t get picked because he almost beat Pacquiao last November and that would have ripped apart Arum’s gravy train. That can’t happen, so Marquez won’t get the fight even if he brings in the most money for Pacquiao and would likely easily fill the 38,000 Manny Arena.