LOS ANGELES ? Humiliating Mexican fighters has become a habit for Manny Pacquiao that the imagination of boxing?s top attraction has gone so out-of-this-world that the next big thing for him he said is a confrontation with the fictional, swashbuckling Zorro.
“Sino pa ba ang Mexicano (na pwedeng kalabanin ko)? Si Zorro?” Pacquiao asked on Sunday, barely 24 hours after scoring the biggest victory of his illustrious career over Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Zorro, of course, is a fictional character created by writer Johnston McCulley in 1919, who championed the oppressed. Zorro is a master swordsman and nobleman who lived in the Spanish colonial era of California.
His mention of the name Zorro elicited laughter from writers and a handful of men who surrounded Pacquiao. But since he has bested the Three Musketeers of Mexican prizefighting ? Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez ? there appears to be no other choice but to look for somebody who has what it takes to force him to go down the well.
And although De La Hoya is an American, his parents are originally from Mexico
Even before Pacquiao mauled De La Hoya, there was already talk that a clash with British superstar Ricky Hatton will be arranged and possibly a megamatch with the now-retired Floyd Mayweather will be down the line.
Pacquiao said his first fight in 2009 should be in the month of May or June but the exact date, choice of foe, venue and the financial terms have yet to be discussed although Top Rank chief Bob Arum would soon find out what Pacquiao wants when he flies to the Philippines to attend Pacquiao?s 30th birthday celebration on Dec. 17.
There is actually one Mexican out there who fights in the welterweight class who should give Pacquiao not only fits ? but most probably a beatdown ? and trainer Freddie Roach admits that the name of Antonio Margarito is not on his radar screen.
In an interview with Ron Borges of the Boston Herald, Roach believes Margarito, who is 5-11 and known for his durability, is simply too much for Pacquiao, who had held world titles at flyweight, super-bantam, super-feather and lightweight before deciding to test the welterweight waters.
“We?re not going to fight (unified welterweight champion Antonio) Margarito. I know our limitations. There are a lot of fights for Manny at 140 but a young Margarito? No. We wouldn?t fight Mayweather (if he opts to come out of retirement) at 147. We might be willing to at a catch weight but not at 147,” Roach said.
