Early Sunday morning at Dallas Cowboys stadium, the media gathered for the post fight press conference of Pacquiao vs. Margarito. Top Rank President Bob Arum chatted with reporters as we all waited for Manny Pacquiao to arrive.
Meanwhile, Arum was asked who he would like to see Pacquiao square off with for his next fight.
“Well obviously, we, like everyone in boxing, would like to see him fight Floyd Mayweather, and we’re going to see if we can make that happen, and that’s our first priority,” Arum said. “Only it requires Floyd Mayweather’s willingness to do the fight, and secondly, some take of the Nevada court system as to when a fight can take place, where we wouldn’t be blindsided by anything like a trial, or something like that. But we’re going to work through those issues in the next couple of weeks.”
When Arum was asked if he would consider another fighter outside of Top Rank besides Mayweather, his answer brought laughter.
“Yeah sure… sure, I mean, I ran out of my own guys,” Arum said. “He beat all my guys.”
Photos from Pacquiao vs. Margarito: From weigh-in to press conference
He went on to mention other possible fights that he would consider for Pacquiao.
“If Mayweather wasn’t available, I would… you know, names that come to my head are Shane Mosley, maybe Marquez… You know, there are any number of names. People are going to come to see Manny perform, and to see how he does against these legendary fighters.”
As I spoke with boxing fans about he possibility of a Pacquiao – Mosley bout, I found very few who were interested.
Most Filipino fans I that I have conversed with reject the idea completely. They feel that Mosley would not present a decent challenge to Pacquiao.
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The majority of Arkansas fans I spoke to were also uninterested in a Pacquiao – Mosley bout.
Cliff Garrigus of Rogers dismissed the idea completely. “I think Shane is pretty well finished. Bring on Floyd Mayweather,” Garrigus said. “That?s the one we all want to see. There isn?t anyone else out there that could even come close to competing with Pacquiao.”
Jason Harris of Garfield: “I think that Pacman will knock Mosley out. I dont know the specifics of Mayweather’s legal woes, but I know one thing; everybody wants the Manny vs. Floyd fight, except for Mayweather.”
Jose Silva of Rogers: “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Mosley has an established name in boxing, but he is done. People would watch the fight just to see Manny beat Mosley.”
Professional boxer, Kimberly Connor-Hamby of Little Rock was receptive to the matchup, but her reasoning was in agreement with Silva’s statement. “I think that would be awesome!” Hamby said. “I love watching Pacman fight.”
There is no denying that the entire boxing world is sold on witnessing what would most likely be the biggest event in the history of boxing.
It’s obvious that most fans believe that Floyd Mayweather is the only fighter within the welterweight division that would present a legitimate challenge for Manny Pacquiao.
The contrasting styles and outstanding skills of both fighters make this the most intriguing match that could possibly be made
