By James Slater: Though there remains a flicker of hope from fight fans that a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will still happen, a number of news sources are reporting that it’s looking more and more likely that Pac-Man will fight Miguel Cotto next instead, in a rematch.
Ringtv.com has reported that they have learned Cotto, the reigning WBA 154-pound champ, has “agreed to the terms other than resolving a few minor details that will allow him to face Manny Pacquiao in a return bout on June 9th at either The Thomas and Mack centre or the MGM Grand.”
While an ESPN blog writes how a reliable source “close to the situation” is “sure” it will be Pacquiao-Cotto II next.
There are a number of questions that spring to mind. What has happened to the custom-built arena on the strip that Arum said was to host Pacquiao’s next fight? What are the “few minor details” that Cotto has still to agree to? What weight would a Pac-Man-Cotto II take place at?
Pacquiao, some reports have said, will not fight above 147 again; the toll on his body whilst fighting bigger men being too much. But can Cotto, a big junior-middleweight, make 147 again and fight effectively at the lower weight?
A bigger question may be: will fans buy a return fight between the two? Pacquiao dominated, bloodied and battered a brave Cotto just over two years ago – chances are he would do exactly the same again.
Let’s see if any announcement regarding this rematch comes on Monday.
Pacquiao has won four fights in a row since his 12th-round TKO win over Cotto: beating Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez, all by decision. Cotto has won three in a row (all up at 154), stopping the trio that is Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and, in a revenge rematch, Margarito.
As great and as sharp as he looked against “Tony” last December 3rd, 31-year-old Cotto would enter the ring with Pac-Man as a considerable underdog.