Pacquiao’s commanding win over Puerto Rican Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight title has left the boxing public hungrily awaiting a showdown between the Filipino southpaw and unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are widely viewed as the two biggest names in contemporary boxing and their confrontation in the ring would finally settle the argument over who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
The path to this dream duel, however, is far from easy and its success hinges on their respective promoters being to able to strike a deal.
Both fighters are known for demanding the lion’s share of any negotiated figure and Mayweather has, so far, shied away from committing to a mouth-watering clash with the pride of the Philippines.
The Pacquiao camp expressed its eagerness to take on Mayweather shortly after Saturday’s fight was halted by the referee early in the 12th and final round.
“I want to see him fight Mayweather,” Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told reporters when asked who was the next name on his wish list.
Pacquiao, whose victory over Cotto earned him a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class, deferred to his promoter Bob Arum.
“My job is to fight in the ring,” the 30-year-old said after improving his career record to 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts. “It’s my promoter’s job to make the fights.”
Arum told Reuters yesterday it was now up to the Mayweather camp to express interest in going forward with negotiations.
“Speaking for Manny and Freddie, we are looking forward to doing that fight (with Mayweather),” Arum said. “Now the question is working out the terms for both sides.
“And that is a significant step because we are not sure whether it is Mayweather’s decision.” Arum added: “If Mayweather is interested, he will send a letter to (television channel) HBO saying that he is interested in doing the fight and who he wants to negotiate for him.”
Mayweather, who improved his career record to 40-0 (25 KOs) with a unanimous points win over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September, has criticised Pacquiao for deferring to his promoter.
“Tell Manny Pacquiao to be his own man and stop letting everyone, including his loudmouth trainer, talk for him,” Mayweather said in a statement released by his promotions company yesterday.
“I am my own boss, speak for myself and tell it like it is. If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself.
“I have yet to hear him actually say: ‘Yes, I want to fight Mayweather.’ Manny Pacquiao doesn’t say anything directly about fighting me because he might just know it’s not a fight he can win.”
Mayweather was widely regarded as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter when he stopped Britain’s Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of their 2007 encounter.
However, the flamboyant American then retired from the ring before returning 21 months later, during which time the mythical ‘pound-for-pound’ tag passed to Pacquiao.
The brash-talking Mayweather, one of the best defensive fighters of all time, has continually bragged he is the greatest fighter of his era.
For the boxing public, that argument can only be settled once Mayweather enters the ring with Pacquiao.
