ARLINGTON — There just isn’t much left for Manny Pacquiao when it comes to boxing.
Pacquiao dominated Antonio Margarito on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium to capture an eighth world title in his eighth weight class.
After the fight, Margarito never stepped to the podium as he went straight to a hospital, even though Pacquiao mercifully took it easy the final two rounds.
Despite giving up 17 pounds and half a foot in reach and height, Pacquiao dismantled Margarito, including delivering a brutal beating to his right eye.
Promoter Bob Arum told The Associated Press that Margarito has a broken right eye socket and will have surgery Tuesday in Texas.
Arum, is running out of options and may need to look outside the Top Rank stable of fighters.
“I ran out of my own guys,” Arum said in the post-fight news conference. “He beat my own guys.”
The first name on the top of the boxing world’s list is Floyd Mayweather Jr. That fight, however, has failed in negotiations twice.
Both Mayweather and his uncle/trainer Roger Mayweather are facing legal troubles that will need to be resolved first.
Pacquiao was asked about Mayweather but he dodged the question with the same ease as Margarito’s offense.
“I don’t want to talk about that now, Floyd Mayweather,” Pacquiao said. “If there’s a decision I leave it to Bob Arum. I’m going to go back to the Philippines and go to work. I have a job to do in Congress.”
Pacquiao was elected to the Philippines Congress earlier this year. He said he hopes to move up the political ranks and will probably only fight about three more times.
A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout could take place at Cowboys Stadium, Arum said. Any other PacMan bout, however, will likely head elsewhere, after two stops in Arlington.
“Given my relationship to Jerry Jones and the staff here is the best, they are absolutely tremendous to work with,” Arum said. “So obviously, Cowboys Stadium will always be considered. I may not want to limit Manny to one venue. If Mayweather wasn’t available, names that come to my head is Shane Mosley, maybe [Juan Manuel] Marquez.”
Mosley at 39 is clearly past his prime but has never faced Pacquiao.
Pacquiao took a split decision and a draw in two previous meetings with Marquez.
