Manny Pacquiao will always have a fallback just in case he fails in his coming ?Dream Match? with Oscar dela Hoya in Las Vegas.
He can always go down in weight and defend his WBC lightweight crown.
?If Manny loses, or even if he wins against Oscar, he can go down to 135 (pounds),? said Top Rank big boss Bob Arum yesterday.
?He may end up defending that title,? added Arum. Arum was asked if Pacquiao, who won the lightweight crown by knocking out David Diaz last June, would relinquish the 135-lb title the way he relinquished the super-featherweight crown (130 lbs) he won over Juan Manuel Marquez last year.
?No,? Arum told The STAR. ?Not at all. Again, depending on the outcome of this Dela Hoya fight, he may end up defending his lightweight crown,? said Arum.
Under WBC rules, Pacquiao has one year to defend the title before it is given up in order to pave the way for a new champion.
Pacquiao had indicated that he feels very comfortable at his new fighting weight of 147 lbs (welterweight) and might stay there ? especially if he emerges victorious against Dela Hoya.
Even his trainer, Freddie Roach, said Pacquiao might stay within the welterweight class, and hope for a possible clash with Ricky Hatton or even Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 140 lbs next year.
But again, Arum said everything would depend on the outcome of the Dec. 6 showdown against the legendary Dela Hoya who is set to make a major announcement today regarding the ?Dream Match.?
Lance Pugmire of the LA Times wrote that the announcement may have something to do with Dela Hoya tapping the 87-year-old Angelo Dundee as part of his training team.
Arum said big fights are still available in the 135-lb class.
Asked to give some names, the first one that came out was that of Marquez, who also moved up to 135 lbs and took the Ring Magazine title from Joel Casamayor.
?Of course there?s Marquez,? said Arum, again giving hope to a third clash between Pacquiao and the great Mexican counter-puncher.
That fight a lot of people would want to see.
