By James Slater: Almost four full days on from last Saturday’s big Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto fight, and fans are still talking about “Money” here in Las Vegas; and not the gambling kind. Almost as soon as the May 5th Mayweather-Cotto bout was over and done with, fans began talking once again about a possible Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao super-fight.
“Floyd’s got to fight Pacquiao,” the fans can be heard saying again and again. Mayweather of course faces his June 1st jail term, and he may not fight again afterwards – but fans, and Team-Pacquiao, live in hope that the mega-match will go down. Speaking with Ringtv.com yesterday, Pac-Man trainer Freddie Roach said that the way to beat Mayweather is with constant work and pressure, and that his guy Pac-Man is the fighter to do it. Roach also said Mayweather has problems with facing southpaws: Mayweather’s second weakness along with having a problem fighting all-out for three full minutes a round, Roach said..
Freddie, perhaps playing mind games and nothing more, went as far as to say he’d let Manny fight as a right-hander if Floyd would agree to the fight then. Speaking about the pressure and constant work factor, Roach makes a lot of sense. This past Saturday, Cotto had his biggest moments in the fight when he went all-out at Mayweather; when he made him work and work hard. Of course, Cotto’s letting it all hang out almost cost him more than it did Mayweather – that last round almost resulting in a last-minute KO win for Mayweather. But Cotto has never been in possession of a great chin, and he has been worn down and stopped before. Pacquiao, however, has not.
Speedy lefty Pac-Man (or righty if the fight comes off and Pac-Man has to stick to an agreement!) might have the stuff needed to be able to attack, attack and attack Mayweather, pick up points and not be made to pay for it the way the somewhat easy to hit Cotto was. Pac-Man has been halted with body shots, but his chin has never let him down. Against a Mayweather who would perhaps looks to pick his spots and potshot his way to a less than damaging decision victory, it would be a surprise if Manny’s beard let him down for the first time.
Pac-Man must take care of the dangerously determined Tim Bradley first, but as soon as he has done so (and the experts and bookies feel he will do), the drum will continue to be banged for Mayweather-Pacquiao. Sit in a bar on the strip and ask any fight fan or even casual sports fan which fight they NEED to see, and they will tell you to a man: Floyd Vs. Manny.
It has to happen and Vegas would be the obvious place to stage the blockbuster. With the recent taunt from Roach, the ball is once again in Mayweather’s court.
By the way, regarding the in-jeopardy Khan-Peterson II clash, the bookmakers in Vegas have now stopped taking bets on the fight. It doesn’t look good. Will Khan wind up facing a TBA for Peterson’s vacated belts?