Following pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao?s brutally one-sided victory over Antonio Margarito two weeks ago, focus has shifted to Pacquiao?s next opponent. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0) is the fight that the boxing world both wants and needs, but Mayweather, outside of a image-damaging, racist webcam tirade, has given no response to a Pacquiao challenge. The three leading candidates at this time to replace Mayweather as an opponent are Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Berto.
Besides for the obvious reality that not one of the three potential opponents is Mayweather, there are other criticisms to be made.
Marquez, a survivor of two previous Pacquiao battles has shown an inefficiency when going up in weight, which he would certainly have to do to fight Pacman. The only other time Marquez has risen above 140 lbs to fight was in 2009 against Mayweather, a fight in which Marquez lost by double-digits on two of three judges scorecards.
Berto is unproven as a fighter and a fan draw.
Shane Mosley is 0-1-1 in his last two fights, a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Floyd Mayweather and a draw with Sergio Mora.
Mosley is currently leading the race and being courted by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.
The question that needs to be raised at this juncture, loudly: Why Not Sergio Martinez?
From Bob Arum, who, in fairness, seems to genuinely care about Pacquiao, the discerning factor in not matching the two fighters has been size.
?Even if [Pacquiao] beat Martinez, which I believe that he would, and even if he turns it into a fairly easy fight, because he?s fighting someone who is a much bigger, stronger guy, he could get hurt like he did in there against Antonio Margarito?, Arum recently told Fanhouse.com.
The argument of Arum not pitting Pacquiao against Martinez purely because of size is nullified if Mosley is signed as Pacquiao?s next opponent.
Mosley boasts a 74″ reach, only a 2″ difference than Martinez, whose reach is 76″. Pacquiao?s reach is 67″.
Mosley stands at 5?9″, Martinez at 5?10″, a height difference made moot considering Mosley fights in a more straight-backed fashion and Martinez in a crouched style.
Both would tower over the 5?6″ Pacquiao.
Two of Mosley?s last four fights have been contested at weight over 150 lbs, where Martinez normally fights.
Lou Dibella, promoter for Martinez, has offered a weight concession to Pacquiao.
?I think Sergio is the best fighter in the world,? Dibella told Boxingscene.com. ?I know Pacquiao won?t duck any challenge. We?ll make the fight at 155, and frankly Sergio would have to kill himself to get there.?
It is worth noting that on fight night Margarito came into the ring against Pacquiao weighing over 160 lbs.
If size is nullified as a deciding factor, what is the reason that this fight is not being made?
Dibella is correct in his assessment that Pacquiao would no doubt jump at the opportunity to fight Martinez but don?t be so sure that his promoters would.
Martinez and Mosley are comparable in size, but at this point in their respective careers the difference is skill.
Boxing is all about match-making, the match made between Mosley and Pacquiao is a match made for obvious reasons.
This has little to do about size and even less to do about making a truly great fight.
The fact is that Mosley is a safe bet and Martinez is a risky proposition.
Mosley, in recent fights, has been a forward moving fighter akin to what Pacquiao has faced in the not-so-distant past. Martinez is a mover, he fights from angles, he would be more stylistically awkward for Pacquiao.
If Pacquiao-Mayweather can not be made, Martinez should be the obvious choice. It would be a great fight between two pound for pound bests, the outcome of which is anyone?s guess.
Whether Mosley or Martinez is picked as Pacquiao?s next opponent, the fight will no doubt be billed as another David and Goliath fight. Though Pacquaio fighting Martinez would be epic; Pacquiao fighting Mosley would be akin to fighting Gulliver after washing ashore after a shipwreck and being tied down by Lilliputians.
