Following his dominant twelve-round decision over former-five time champion Shane Mosley inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao began eyeing his next move. With a November date in Las Vegas already locked up, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum mentioned the names of three likely foes for his Filipino star.
The first is that of reigning lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who was present at ringside for tonight’s fight. Marquez battled Pacquiao to a split-draw in May of 2004 and lost a split-decision to him in March of 2008. Marquez claims to have won both fights and says that a third fight with Pacquiao is his ‘top priority’.
<--- Slideshow: View the second Pacquiao-Mosley image gallery featuring Manny's victory, ring celebration, and post-fight press appearance
The second candidate appears to be WBC and WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, a few months removed from a less-than-stirring technical decision victory over Devon Alexander in Detroit, Michigan. Bradley is a workmanlike fighter and makes up for his lack of power with great willpower, fast hands, overall technique and ring awareness yet doesn’t appear to have the ‘it’ factor to hang with a fighter like Pacquiao.
Arum also mentioned that IBF junior welterweight champion Zab Judah’s name is definitely in the mix. The dangerous southpaw has been present as several of Top Rank’s event in recent weeks and saw his career rejuvenated after stopping South Africa’s Kaizer Mabuza in March to recapture the IBF piece he now holds.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at [email protected]
