By Robert Jackson: Manny Pacquiao WILL be fighting on November 10, 2012, but against whom? Names on the Pacquiao short list are the usual suspects: Mayweather, Cotto, Marquez; as well as recent foe Timothy Bradley. No one else will satisfy the insatiable urges of boxing fans, especially those loyal to the Philippines native son.
Pacquiao in the past week has given the go ahead to make a fight against Mayweather who’s going into his 32nd day of incarceration of an 87 day sentence after a failed attempt to be released to house arrest. It’s almost a sure bet that Mayweather – who was named the TOP paid athlete, won’t be fighting again in 2012.
Miguel Cotto who recently lost to Mayweather in a hotly contested bout has scheduled his next fight for December 1, 2012 in Madison Square Garden, having only recently became a free agent after his contract with Top Rank expired in late 2011. Don’t think Cotto has any intentions of acquiescing to the demands of Pacquiao putting himself at a disadvantage, as he was made to do when the two met in 2009, while Cotto was still under the Top Rank banner.
This writer thinks that Cotto’s scheduled date has a Mayweather rematch written all over it because it gives Mayweather a month to rest and reacclimatize himself after his jail term is up with some time left to arrange and promote this rematch. Also, being free from his Top Rank contract allows Cotto to see more of his purse than before, cutting Arum out of the 27% share of Cotto’s purse that he was used to getting. Don’t think that Cotto wants to give Top Rank any future options (and money out of his purse)that he might have to by fighting Pacquiao either. But…as I said before I don’t think Mayweather takes Cotto up on his offer, until next year.
Juan Manuel Marquez is hoping that Pacquiao will fight him a 4th time, in Mexico – where he also hopes he can get fair judging this time around, having fought 3-controversially scored bouts already against Pacquiao. Doubt Pacquiao takes Marquez up on his offer to fight a 4th time, maybe losing BIG against the WBO 140lb champion, losing his BIG fight against Mayweather in the process.
Contrary to what Bob Arum says…it looks like the only viable option for Pacquiao is a Timothy Bradley rematch. With all of the uproar surrounding the scoring of the 1st fight, expect the 2nd fight to be scored much more accurately, which will be in Pacquiao’s favor. Also to be considered is Bradley’s lack of punching power, which gives Pacquiao the best chance of winning without worrying about losing by KO, which would definitely throw the BIG MONEY Mayweather fight out of the window. But…and there’s always a but; Pacquiao could LOSE very convincingly to Bradley which would make a Mayweather fight a mute point, there’s a 70% chance that he will lose.
In concluding Pacquiao has very tough decisions to make: he can’t fight a nobody, he can’t lose, and he needs higher PPV buys to negotiate a Mayweather fight and get the 50/50 split he’s seeking. All of this while Money Mayweather does his pushups, sit-ups and jailhouse burpees from a Las Vegas jail cell.