Left field

Pacquiao could damage reputation by fighting Mosley

Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be first pick, Juan Manuel Marquez wouldn’t be a bad choice either but Shane Mosley is certainly not the man the world wants Manny Pacquiao, the undisputed pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet, to fight next.

However, it appears very likely that Pacquiao will announce a May 7 bout with the 39-year-old former welterweight title holder during his birthday celebrations in the Philippines on Friday.

Mosley was booed during his woeful September draw with reality television celebrity Sergio Mora following a unanimous points loss to Mayweather in May.

However, he appears to be first choice for Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, who is in the Philippines and has said the choice of opponent will be down to Pacquiao.

Mexican Marquez looked back to his best in defeating Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis this year following a defeat by Mayweather. Marquez’s two previous fights with Pacquiao, a draw and a split decision victory for the Filipino, were nothing short of thrilling and a third fight would be attractive.

Pacquiao’s reputation has gone through the roof following his jolly up the weight divisions. His ability to bring with him the power he had at featherweight to leave opponents at light-middleweight in trouble is phenomenal but he could possibly damage that reputation by taking a fight with Mosley.

What is there to be gained in bashing another inferior opponent for 12 rounds other than a shed load more money to throw in the bank?

Pacquiao against Mayweather should still take place

It was all going so well, everything running smoothly and then, someone mentioned drug testing.

The proposed super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr is off, for now, because the Filipino won’t agree to Olympic-style testing that the American wants.

Pacquiao has offered to be drug-tested before his training camp and after the fight but Mayweather’s team are asking for random blood and urine testing to take place throughout the pair’s training camps.

It is a tedious point that threatens to scupper a fight that will determine where the pair stand among the greats of the sport.

The thing to remember is that despite this hitch, which Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told Reuters resulted in the fight being called off, the showdown will take place. There is simply too much money at stake for it not too.

But what Mayweather has done is score the first tactical victory.

Pacquiao – Mayweather fight moves closer

The news that Bob Arum has flown to Manila to meet Manny Pacquiao and discuss a contract offer to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr is a good sign that next year’s super fight is close to being signed.

Roy Jones Jr’s surprise first round defeat to Australian Danny Green on Wednesday means his expected rematch with old rival Bernard Hopkins scheduled for March 13th is unlikely to go ahead, and with the major U.S television networks looking for a fight to fill the void, step in Pacquiao and Mayweather.

Negotiations between Pac Man and Pretty Boy were expected to be tough, with both renowned for driving hard bargains but the news Arum is in the Philippines would suggest talks are at an advanced stage.

Figures showing Pacquiao made more money in television pay-per-view sales in his victory over Miguel Cotto last month than Mayweather did over Juan Manuel Marquez in September strengthens the Filipino’s hand in negotiations as the American needs this fight more than Pac Man.

By claiming his latest world title, the WBO welterweight belt from Cotto, at a record seventh different weight, Pacquaio returned to his rightful place as the sports pound-for-pound king.

Should the pair both retire tomorrow, Pacquiao would be lauded for his conquering of so many weight divisions whilst Mayweather, rightly or wrongly, would be criticised for dodging another opponent.

Pacquiao’s granite chin makes Mayweather fight a tough call

Manny Pacquiao produced another sublime performance in his destruction of Miguel Cotto on Saturday but it was not his fast hands and flashy combinations that grabbed me about his victory, instead it was the Filipino’s granite chin.

We all knew about the attacking ability that Pacquiao had but his ability to walk through the punches of Cotto, a natural welterweight who thought he would have too much power for the man who began at flyweight, was impressive.

Cotto couldn’t keep the 30-year-old southpaw away.

The Puerto Rican looked like a holiday maker desperately, and unsuccessfully, swatting at a fly. The combinations didn’t stop coming from Pacquiao and in truth the fight should have been stopped before the 12th such was the one-sided nature of this lopsided contest.

The poor state of Cotto’s face at the end of the fight said it all.

Pacquiao’s seventh title at an unprecedented seventh weight now leaves him as the sports pound-for-pound king. The Filipino’s promoter Bob Arum, who worked with Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler, described him as the best fighter he had ever seen, however there is one more fight out there for him.

Why boxing world will be urging on the Pacman against Cotto

Miguel Cotto may be loved by his loyal fans in Puerto Rico but the rest of the boxing world will be hoping Manny Pacquiao knocks him out in Saturday’s welterweight title bout to keep the Filipino on course for next year’s super-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

American Mayweather did his bit by coming out of retirement and oozing class against Juan Manuel Marquez in September and now, as he rests up and has so far avoided the temptation to fight Shane Mosley, we can expect Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations to begin soon – providing the Pac Man wins on Saturday.

Pacquiao’s legion of fans are confident he will beat Cotto, the bookmakers are confident and his revered trainer Freddy Roach approved the fight meaning he must be confident, but there is a nagging doubt that all won’t go to plan and that is because Cotto is a classy fighter.

His only defeat came at the hands of disgraced Mexican Antonio Margarito, who was subsequently banned for fighting with illegal padding in his gloves, and he is a strong, fast and a natural welterweight.

However, since that fight he has had two mediocre contests.

Firstly he knocked out the hopelessly mis-matched Britain Michael Jennings in five rounds before claiming a hard fought split-decision against Ghanaian Josh Clottey in June.

Time for Mayweather to enter the ring with Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Jr destroyed Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez with a ruthlessly clinical display in Las Vegas at the weekend but the non-title welterweight bout ended with an overall feeling of dissatisfaction.

The controversial weigh-in on the eve of the eagerly anticipated fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena raised the biggest question mark of all.

Marquez, a gutsy five-times world champion in three different weight classes, conceded four pounds to the bigger and faster Mayweather after tipping the scales at 142.

Because the 12-round bout was initially contracted as a welterweight contest with a catch weight limit of 144 pounds, Mayweather was heavily fined for coming in two pounds over the limit.

Fight insiders later confirmed the undefeated American was penalised $600,000, a relatively small sacrifice for a significant advantage on fight night.

By the time the two boxers entered the ring on Saturday in front of a non-sellout crowd of 13,116, the difference was probably close to 10 pounds.

Marquez weighed in at 148 moments before the fight but Mayweather refused to disclose his own weight.

Mayweather looks the business but will Pacquiao fight happen?

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was just too big and too quick in Las Vegas on Saturday that not even a man who is tough enough to drink his own urine could leave a mark on the returning showman.

Having been in retirement for 21 months we should have witnessed some ring rustiness, it didn’t happen. Mayweather used all of his defensive prowess to stay out of trouble and fought expertly behind his potent jab to make Juan Manuel Marquez look amateur.

Saturday’s fight has been called a mismatch by some experts, but that is unfair on Mayweather whose swaggering performance was that of a man hell-bent on convincing the few remaining doubters that he is the sports classiest performer.

There is only one fight left out there for him before he retires again, but money, promoters and a Puerto Rican could prevent the super-clash against Manny Pacquiao happening.

Pacquiao fights Miguel Cotto in Vegas in November, a skilful, powerful Puerto Rican opponent who has only been defeated once and will provide a far sterner test than Ricky Hatton or Oscar de la Hoya did.

Defeat for Pacquiao would end any immediate hope of a showdown with Mayweather and would probably bring Marquez back into the fold for a third battle between the pair which, after their first two fights, would not be a bad thing.

The second stumbling block ahead of a Mayweather-Pacquiao match-up is money. Both fighters are renowned negotiators. Could they reach a resolution?

Who’s the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter?

Saturday’s welterweight clash in Las Vegas between undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez could well be the first leg of three to settle the mythical title of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

As things stand, most boxing fans would give that tag to either Mayweather, 39-0 (25 KOs), or Filipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37 KOs).

However Pacquiao’s next bout will be in November when he challenges Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title.

Only after that, assuming both Mayweather and Pacquiao have lived up to their respective billing as strong favourites and triumphed, will the argument-ending contest between the American and the Filipino be able to unfold.

Mayweather has repeatedly said the notion of regaining the mythical pound-for-pound tag no longer appeals to him, but the idea that he would spurn the chance to take on Pacquiao seems ludicrous.

In an interview with Reuters, Mayweather played down the Filipino’s most recent fight, a stunning second round knockout of Britain’s Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light-welterweight title.

“Pacquiao went out there and did what he had to do,” said Mayweather, who is returning to the ring on Saturday after a 21-month retirement.