By Vivek Wallace: With Manny Pacquiao officially out of the Floyd Mayweather jr. hunt for what is traditionally known as the most festive weekend in the sport, seems the stage could be set for what many could dub the next best thing. Although no official word has come, and no official agreement has been reached on either front, rumblings in the underground have it that fight fans could be presented what would be an incredible card, as four of the sports more perennial names would square off.
All the heavy brass in Goldenboy Promotions would deny this on record, but Mayweather/Cotto and Alvarez/Mosley seem to be a very hot topic in certain circles, and what started as a luke warm whisper has suddenly become a deafening roar….even if it is only by sheer fan desire.
Pacquiao has made it clear that he will only face Cotto if Cotto agrees to sacrifice his weight again, coming down to 147lbs. Cotto’s response has been very candid, making it very clear that he will not make such a mistake again, regardless of how much money is attached to the request. Some would raise an eyebrow at Cotto for declining an offer to make more than he probably ever has against Pacquiao in a rematch, but in opting for Mayweather, Cotto quickly learns a bird in the hand beats two in a bush. In simple terms, Cotto has lost to two men in his career. He has avenged one of those losses, (Margarito), but rather than risking the odds of defeat to the man who gave him the other loss, (Pacquiao), he could set out to face the man, (Mayweather), who most feel could defeat that man.
Sounds like a Hollywood script gone bad, but you know what? The opportunity now is good. Better yet, the opportunity now is grand. And for Cotto, after much dissatisfaction with Top Rank and many questions surrounding he and his legacy, suddenly the moment to seize ultimate redemption is now.
Many feel this fight is a few years past due, but Marquez/Pacquiao was a barn-burner in 2004….they lived up to the hype in 2008…..and their affair in 2011 proved to be more of the same. If that doesn’t prove there’s never a bad time for a good fight, I’m not sure what does. And for Cotto, it’s a two-for-one, because he can accomplish everything he ever needed to, monetarily and professionally, in one night, with one man, regardless of how he fared against the other two (Margarito and Pacquiao).
The only potential loss in this scenario for Cotto would be the risk of being black-balled against Top Rank fighters like we’ve seen other fighters who left Bob Arum. Walking away from Pacquiao and Top Rank would mean no shot at Chavez Jr., or anyone in the Top Rank stables in the future, which means cashing out against Mayweather may be necessary.
154lbs is said to be the considered weight limit, and on the undercard is the potential for a true barometer match if we’ve ever seen one in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez versus Shane Mosley. In Alavarez, you have a young stud who could be catching an old bull at the right time. In Mosley, you could have an old bull with just enough ammo to mark new territory south of the border once again! That’s what makes the sport of boxing so interesting, and ultimately, that’s the second part of a card that could make you shell out more than you ever have for a boxing PPV.
With much posturing at the poker table and many chips left to fall, there’s no way to tell at this stage what the final tab will be. But what we do know is that on the night of May 5th, when dusk falls and the scrolling marquees light up, the world will be watching. Tecate will probably be the official sponsor, but in true fashion, for me, this will be a Dos Equis moment….as “I don’t always drink…….but when I do”…..it’s a night with a major buzz in the air like this one would be! Stay tuned!
(Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, Youtube (Vivek1251), Twitter (VivekWallace747), Skype (Vito-Boxing), and Facebook).