source: boxingnews24.com
Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, says that it’s hard to find competitive opponents for Pacquiao to fight after he easily beat 39-year-old Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KO’s)by a 12 round unanimous decision in front of 16,000 fans at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Many of the fans weren’t happy with the lack of competitiveness of the fight and booed loudly after many of the rounds.
In an article at USA Today, Arum said “When you analyze everything out there, it’s very, very difficult to get somebody who can be very competitive.”
Arum could be right but he at least could look in the direction of some of the younger fighters instead of picking out nearly 40-year-old fighters like Mosley, who hadn’t won a fight since beating Antonio Margarito in January 2009.
The signs were there for Arum before the fight that Mosley wouldn’t be competitive, as he showed that he was having problems in his last two fights. Arum should have seen that and chose to stay away from matching Mosley against his fighter Pacquiao.
Arum would do well to consider putting Pacquiao in with guys like Victor Ortiz instead of aiming Pacquiao at 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez. That’s who Pacquiao will likely fight next. Arum wants a third fight between Pacquiao and Marquez, but the fight won’t be competitive if it’s held at 147, because Pacquiao would be much too big for the smaller Marquez.
147 is where the fight will likely be held, meaning we’ll be seeing another mismatch in the near future involving Pacquiao. Marquez wants a catchweight but don’t count on him getting one. He doesn’t have the pull to push for and get a catchweight.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be the perfect opponent for Pacquiao, but with the two fighters so far apart in terms of money and possibly drug testing, a fight between them seems almost impossible.
Besides Maweather and Ortiz, a fight between Pacquiao and unbeaten welterweight contender Mike Jones would be a great fight. Jones may not have a lot of experience against upper tier fighters, but at least he would let his hands go and fight hard for as long as it lasts.
Andre Berto would be another good opponent. He just lost to Ortiz but it was a great fight and with his power and speed, he would make it a lot more interesting than Mosley did.
source: boxingnews24.com
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