Next opponent for Mayweather

Odds makers once again proved they knew their business when they installed Floyd Mayweather Jr.  the 5-2 favorite when the American took on Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez for the WBA and WBC light middleweight titles in Las Vegas on Sunday morning in Manila (Saturday evening in Las Vegas). Taking complete control of the fight from the fourth round, Mayweather dominated the Mexican idol to win by majority decision: 116–112 (referee Dave Moretti); 117-111 (Craig Metcalfe) and 114-114 (CJ Ross).

Ross, a boxing judge for the last 21 years, was widely criticized for judging the bout a draw. Boxing aficionados also found fault with her (and Duane Ford) for calling Timothy Bradley Jr the winner over Manny Pacquiao (115-113) on June 9, 2012 for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title in Las Vegas.

At any rate, going back to Mayweather, the brash 36-year old American who served time in jail for beating up the mother of his children, has all but cleaned up the welterweight and super welterweight/light middleweight divisions of opponents born in the late ‘70’s or early ‘80’s. A noteworthy exception is Filipino boxing icon Pacquiao, who will turn 35 this year on December 17.

USA Today sports writer Jonathan Snowden believes that Mayweather has to fight Pacquiao: “There is a stain on (Mayweather’s) permanent record. For all his glory, all his success, all his money, if he retires without facing (Pacquiao), that will be what people remember most about his career. What he didn’t do, rather than all the things he accomplished, will be his lasting legacy.”

Snowden continues, “Mayweather is likely right when he says Pacquiao is fading as a fighter, that he’s damaged goods. But, in truth, Pacquiao’s losses to (Bradley) and Juan Manuel Marquez won’t prevent a Mayweather bout from being the biggest fight of either man’s career. They can even sell this fight if Manny somehow loses to Brandon Rios this winter in China. People want this fight and boxing needs it. Mayweather does too, if only to bury forever the accusations that he was afraid to fight the best.”

Pacquiao and trainer of the year awardee several times over, Freddie Roach, and others do not, of course, believe that Pacquiao is “damaged goods.” The decision of the judges in the Bradley fight was later reviewed by a five-man panel and all five thought Pacquiao won.

The fighting congressman was well on his way to stopping Marquez until he got caught by a right straight from the souped-up Marquez. Such “accidents” happen to brawlers like Pacquiao who want to entertain fight fans with non-stop action.

Aside from Pacquiao, other opponents of Mayweather, who reportedly pocketed $41.2 M for 36 minutes of work atop the ring, include 25-year old American Danny Garcia, WBC and WBA light welterweight champion who has knocked out the likes of aging Erik Morales and former Pacquiao sparring mate, Amir Khan.

Garcia who has Puerto Rican roots, sports a 27-0, 16 KO’s record, winning by unanimous decision over Argentine Lucas Matthysse in the main undercard of Mayweather-Alvarez. Some say that putting Garcia in the undercard of a major fight against such a powerful puncher as Matthysse could only mean that Garcia is being positioned as a major player for consideration by the Mayweather camp as a potential opponent.

Snowden thinks that it is likely that Mayweather could move up to the next higher middleweight division which Pacquiao did when he ran out of opponents among the featherweights and super featherweights years ago. And among the middleweights, Sergio Martinez’s name crops up.

Martinez is the current MBC middleweight champion who, earlier in his career, campaigned in the light middleweight and welterweight divisions. Ranked number four pound-for-pound boxer in the world by The Ring, Martinez has won over former world champions like Kelly Pavlik and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Martinez was also mentioned as a possible opponent for Pacquiao when the Filipino went on an unbeaten run after a loss as a super featherweight (130 pounds) to Morales on March 19, 2005. Upon being told of a possible fight with Martinez, Pacquiao simply said, “Malaki yon ‘di ba?” (He’s big, isn’t he?). Pacquiao had been fighting as a welterweight and indeed to fight Martinez at 160 pounds was the least of Pacquiao’s priorities then.

Another possibility is Adrian Broner, current WBA welterweight champion is 24 years old and undefeated in 27 fights, 22 of which he won by knockout. “He’s unwilling to fight Mayweather because they’re such good friends, according to Snowden, who however hastens to add that “faced with a contract that has seven zeroes on it, Broner may suddenly decide that he and the champ can go back to being friends after taking care of a bit of business first.”

 Other names are in Snowden’s list like Marcos Maidana and Khan. After pocketing $40M, Mawyeather can afford to take his time and enjoy the money, his main motivation.