FORMER four division champion Roy Jones Jr. has a word of advice for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao: stay away from welterweight standouts Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Jones, the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world for most of the 90s, thinks it is not even fair to pit Pacquiao against Mosley or Mayweather because they are not only bigger than him but also faster and stronger.
?I love Pacquiao as a fighter,? Jones told KFXX, Portland?s all sports station. ?I don?t really think [about] size. These guys [Mosley and Mayweather] are a little bit faster and bigger.?
Jones, who holds the distinction as only the second middleweight in history to win the world heavyweight title, said he thinks Pacquiao would lose to either Mayweather or Mosley.
?To me it?s not really a fair situation to put him [Pacquiao] in [the ring against Mayweather or Mos?ley],? Jones said.
Pacquiao, who has endeared himself to global boxing fans because he dares to fight the very best in the sport, said the size factor does not bother him and that he would fight Mosley or Mayweather anytime.
This writer asked Pacquiao if he would consider fighting Mosley, who has been calling out him out even before the Filipino icon ?s second-round destruction of unbeaten junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton on May 2.
Pacquiao, 30, calmly said he would be delighted to fight the World Boxing Council titlist, who is considered the best in the star-studded welterweight division.
Reminded about Mosley?s size advantage over him, Pacquiao said with a smile, ?Pareho lang yan [It doesn?t matter].?
For his next fight, Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) is being groomed to face World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, according to Pacquiao?s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.
Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) successfully defended his WBO title on Saturday via a hard-fought, split decision against the rugged Joshua Clottey from Ghana.
Arum said he hopes to be able to work out the terms of Pacquiao-Cotto tentatively scheduled for November 14 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
Arum, who also promotes Cotto, said among the terms he hopes to finalize within a week are the catch-weight and the purse split.
Team Pacquiao wants a 142 to 144 pound weight limit to minimize the built-in advantage of Cotto, a natural welterweight.
