With his recent release from the Clark County Detention Center, many boxing fans are wondering what the future holds for Floyd Mayweather. Contrary to reports that circulated during his incarceration, boxing’s pound-for-pound king came out of jail looking bigger than ever, and it’s highly unlikely that his short stint behind bars will have any negative effects on his career.
Obviously, many are hoping to get the next crack at Mayweather, but only a few will ever get the opportunity. Here are five potential opponents for Floyd’s next fight:
1. Manny Pacquiao
Even though many boxing fans would like to see the highly anticipated bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao, it’s probably the least likely fight to happen on my list. For one, Pacquiao has never showed a genuine desire to face Mayweather in the past, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll get any more courageous now that he’s in a slump.
“Money” doesn’t really need Pacquiao to sell out arena’s and put up impressive Pay-Per-View numbers, and the Filipino congressman can forget about anything close to a 50/50 split if he ever wants to square up against Mayweather.
2. Saul Alvarez
“Canelo’s” handlers didn’t think he was ready for Floyd after his May 5 bout against “Sugar” Shane Mosley, but the 22 year-old seems to think otherwise. Considering the fact Mayweather would probably want to take some time off before getting back inside the ring, a 2013 bout between the two does make some sense.
3. Sergio Martinez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. winner
Two of the top middleweights in the world right now, a fight between Mayweather and the winner of their Sept. 15 bout would be an easy sell. Technically speaking, neither man really matches up with Mayweather, but their significant size advantage makes things a lot more interesting, especially if “Money” if willing to move up to the middleweight division (160 pounds).
4. Timothy Bradley
Bradley’s win against Pacquiao might be suspect, but he’s still the WBO welterweight champion. “Desert Storm” would be the perfect tune-up for Floyd if he wants to take things easy. And he’ll also give “Money” the opportunity to snag up another title while handing Bradley his first professional defeat.
5. Robert Guerrero
Even though Guerrero’s technique looked good during his last fight against Selcuk Aydin, I don’t really like his chances against Mayweather. However, given Guerrero’s easy to love personality/background story and Floyd’s status as boxing’s number one bad guy, a fight between the two will be a lot easier to sell than many seem to think. In case you haven’t noticed already, Floyd Mayweather talking trash plus a likable fighter of Mexican heritage on Cinco de Mayo, equals lots of money for all involved. Like Mayweather likes to say, “it’s about that paper.”
