RSS
Home
What's the 'catch'?: Will Pacquiao actually face Mayweather or Cotto?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Recent reports have began to circulate relative to a proposed bout between Manny Pacqiuao and either Floyd Mayweather jr or Miguel Cotto.
In classic tennis match fashion, the dialogue has gone back and forth between the respective camps about where the fight would take place if in fact it came down to it.
Miguel and Team Cotto took the initiative by stating publicly that they would entertain a catch-weight of 144lbs. Less than 24 hours later, Team Pacquiao came out and stated that they would not be fighting the rough Puerto Rican above 142lbs.
While all of this talk is going back and forth, Mayweather is busy readying himself for a pending summer showdown with Marquez, which will take place at a catch-weight as well, reported to be somewhere around 144.
Drop the "M": From Many Options to Any Options?
Pacquiao has earned his stripes and now that he holds the mythical pound-for-pound status, he resides in the driver seat where he can single-handily decide who he wants and where he wants them at.
Where that notion becomes an issue is the fact that of all of his potential suitors - (atleast the ones the world wants to see him face) - none are willing to fight him at a catch-weight of 142 except the very one he doesn't want to face (Marquez).
Floyd has gone to 144, but will not go as low as 142, and most can remember Cotto being very weight depleted and nearly defeated before heading north to a better comfort zone.
The only other person that would get decent consideration with some type of buzz from the fans would be Mosley, but attempting to make that weight is not even worth discussing in the mind of Shane.
Good for Oscar, Good for me....
Many critics of Pacquiao have began to question how is it that he agreed to face Oscar De La Hoya, an aging fighter, at 147, yet has refused to fight a challenger who is in his prime at the same weight level?
When you consider the fact that Pacquiao enters the ring at roughly 148 pounds on the night of the fight anyhow, this question merits a response. Unfortunately, it isn't likely one will be rendered.
End of the Road?
Considering the fact that Pacquiao is now speaking more and more towards a possible retirement that could take place as soon as early 2010, one has to really wonder how many (if any) of these great matchups on paper will we ever see actually take place in the ring?
If Cotto and Mayweather don't agree to go the extra mile (or pound in this case), perhaps we will never see Manny take part in the very fights that could seal his already sweet legacy.
Something has to give, but what, or who, will it be? For him to retire without facing these guys would leave questions in the mind of some. It'll take a catch-weight to do, but he has to face one of them atleast to remove all doubt, and trust me when I tell you, there's no catch!
(Follow more of Vivek Wallace's work at 8CountNews and Eastside Boxing, or contact him at Facebook or Myspace).
Related Articles:
Comments
