It?s Bob Arum bonus time. I say that because I was thinking about the highest goal that Manny Pacquiao, who he is the lead promoter for, can aspire to.
Let?s face facts because right now and in the foreseeable future, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to be acknowledged as the world?s best boxer pound for pound.
I know what you?re thinking there, Bunky, you?re thinking this is more Marley Madness because Mayweather is a former Arum/Top Rank star and PBF and Mayweather are unlikely to ever fight each other.
But Mayweather and Pacman are fighting each other in the hearts and minds of fight fans the world over.
It?s like the car rental titans here in the United States. Hertz has always been Numero Uno with Avis sitting in the Numero Dos position.
So it is with Pacquiao because every sane fistic pundit extant hails the Pinoy idol as the second best, ounce for ounce fighter, with the superb Joe Calzaghe coming up fast on the outside but, for now, sitting in third place.
So where is the Uncle Bob bonus?. I thought you would never ask.
Because it?s just hit like a lightning bolt. Every single Pacquiao fan, from Canada to Dubai, should also become a fan for Arum?s other hot meal ticket, unbeaten Puerto Rican slugger Miguel Cotto.
It?s time for the Pinoys to back the Boricua Bomber. We all know that Oscar de la Hoya will be competitive and will be valiant in the Sept. 20 rematch against Mayweather.
We also know that the fading Oscar, age 35, is a semi-punched ticket who was bruised and battered by the sting like a moth punches of little Stevie Forbes. Thus it follows that PBF will repeat his victory over Oscar.
I see three scenarios in which Pacman could slide past Mayweather to nail down general if not unanimous recognition as the Pound For Pound king of the ring.
The optimum one would be for Cotto to lure Mayweather into a 2009 megabout and beat the speed merchant.
Another way would be if Mayweather struggles to beat Cotto and Pacquiao has collected several lightweight title belts, maybe three or four.
The third way would be the simplest and that would be for Money May to pack it in but it?s obvious that both he and Megamanny will both be fighting three or four years from right now.
There is a fourth way but I don?t think Pacman can accomplish this. That would be for Pacquaio to start demolishing people, destroying David Diaz, mowing down maybe Juan Diaz, crushing Nate Campbell and maybe more,
I?m talking about just blasting people out left and right. Maybe hammering Ricky Hatton as well.
But, as we sometimes forget, Megamanny is only human and there will be one or two fights where he does not glimmer like new money.
At the end of the day, Cotto looks like the guy who can open the door so the P4P rankings can change up, so that Manny Avis can become Manny Hertz.
Boricuas and Pinoys, time to unite. A cheer for Cotto is a cheer for Pacquiao.
It?s Bob Arum bonus time.
