Eight division world champion, Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao 55-5 (KO38) looks all but assured to have his immediate future set in place, according to Top Rank linchpin, Bob Arum.
The WBO has announced that whoever has their hand raised in the scheduled 12 round bout between Juan Manuel Marquez 55-7 (KO40) and Mike Alvarado 34-2 (KO23) on May 17 will be the mandatory challenger for the winner of the Tim Bradley vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch, that is set to take place on April 12th.
Top Rank president Paco Valcarcel and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum recently informed the boxing world about the four man tournament.
Valcarcel had this to say on the situation: “It is a WBO eliminator fight,” “So the winner between Marquez and Alvarado gets to fight the winner of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight.”
“All of the issues between Marquez and Alvarado have been worked out. We’re ready to do that fight,” said Arum. “So now, we’re working on the undercard. The date is May 17 at The Forum in Los Angeles. By the end of the day, it will be finished, and everything will be done.”
So, with all that said and done we look no closer to any potential ‘Super Fight’ showdown between Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and the man who currently claims the coveted title as pound for pound number one fighter in the sport, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather.
Mayweather himself seems to have his future mapped out, as he is scheduled to face Marcos Maidana on May 3rd, but in all likelihood will be facing Amir Khan next, if Khan can win his rumored fight with Luis Collazo that is set to take place on the undercard of his May 3rd event.
You would surmise that when the aforementioned four man mini tournament has been played out, this will bring us close to the end of 2014.
I am not certain on the substance of this information but I have heard that Pacquiao’s contract with Top Rank is set to run its course at the end of this year.
If that is the case, will Pacquiao sign an extension with Top Rank and Bob Arum or will he opt to look at pastures new?
Is there truly anything involving the whole Pacquiao – Mayweather soap opera between Floyd Mayweather and Top Rank, and in particular Bob Arum and Mayweather, that has seemingly stopped this fight coming to fruition for a very, very long and frustrating period of time?
We have been forced to cast our eyes over this whole ‘will they wont they’ saga for the past five or six years. This ‘Mega Fight’ and the whole power struggle and inevitably the control of the green, is really getting beyond disadvantageous for boxing now and lets be honest, it reaches past these two pugilists ever hearing about each other. It has gone on for as long as any boxing fan can care to remember.
To keep all of your fighters operating under one promotional umbrella is disheartening and detrimental to the sport of boxing.
From the outside looking in, it seems to me that Bob Arum and Top Rank are delighted to just let all contracted current fighters operate under their banner and theirs alone.
The fight that the whole boxing world wants to see is Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather 45-0 (KO26) against Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao.
Can we for once just put all political differences aside, just for once and see what making this fight actually does for the sport. Do we want to see boxing thrive or are we happy to see it continue as a niche sport?
I certainly believe there are enough great fighters currently active that boxing could once again become mainstream of the back of ‘Pacman’ vs. ‘Money’ and continue to grow as more people look to get involved in the sport as a knock on effect.
Wouldn’t it just be fantastic to finally hear these two great champions announced by Michael Buffer or Jimmy Lennon Jr. into the squared circle and look opposite each other to receive the referee’s instructions and hear that first bell we have all so badly wanted to hear for too long?
Make it happen gentlemen; you could well hold the key to the boxing door being kicked wide open and flourishing like never before.
Hate to say it but Mayweather and Pacquiao will never ever fight. It’s over
Mayweather too much of a b*tch to fight ,he will probably end up in prison before they get to fight
Mayweather making controversies all the time in order for him to hold on to his zero loss. Mr. Million man allibis.
mayweather vs pacquiao !!! It’s just one of those impossible dreams…keep dreaming…
Pac will never leave Top Rank. His adviser, Michael Koncz, is a Top Rank employee and keeps tabs on Pac and will ensure that he never leaves Top Rank!
The moment Floydie finds his balls, the fight can happen.
It’s in Floydie’s hands, actually. His manhood was directly challenged already by Pacquiao and yet not even a whimper from Floydie. Where I come from, you question my manhood, I’ll let you choose the weapon you want and call you out to a duel.
Floyd was scared, if hes not scared then he must be terrified.
Everybody knows why Floyd refuse a rematch with DHoya,
the same reason he refuse a fight with Pacquiao
That behavioral pattern will remain until he retire not unless he changed
his brand name which is very unlikely
….floyd is trully afraid of manny, the members of his team led by his arrogant fAther are the only ones claiming that he’s the best, as long as manny remains in boxing floyd would have to deal with him, manny is there to torment floyd’s claim to greatness…
run Floyd… Run run..,
If that fight every fans wants doesn’t happen, only scam artist ploy is to be blamed. PAC is the only one trying to make it happen, everyone knows it. Showtime MUST do something to force that fraud to face PAC or else face the brunt of the boxing fans worldwide.
Well you heard from the horse-mouth, Floyd Sr. said “I am afraid of that little man hurting my son”. So the fear originated from the father and was passed on to his son. And Li’l Floyd is trembling in fear.
The fight will end up in Mayweather inside the prison and Pacquiao inside the White House.
lwhile manny is trying the make a grand exit to solidify his already solid legacy, mayweathers other foot is already outside the door, he wont be taking anymore risk, he’s just taking all the money he can and laughing at those who believed that his the best ever.
Regardless of any situation, we all like to believe we know the truth.
The fact of the matter remains that if Mayweather retires without facing Manny, (even at this stage) then there will always be multiple questions over Floyd’s legacy in the sport.
When all is said and done and people look back on his career in 100 years or so time, this is what they will point out.
I would like to say to @Panfilo: If Mayweather was actually scared to rematch De La Hoya ( a fight he won, albeit close it could go either way in close fights, you cant dispute that) Mayweather, for me lost vs Jose Luis Castillo in their first bout. Mayweather rematched Castillo in a fight he didn’t do so well in. Why wouldn’t he rematch De La Hoya in a match he faired better in and also a fight which at the time broke all PPV revenues. His nickname is Money, after all.
If this fight happens it does remarkable things for the sport of boxing – if it doesn’t take place it is to the detriment of the sport on the whole.
Thanks for reading guys.