It’s one thing for Manny Pacquiao to fight a bigger, but plodding and slower fighter like Antonio Margarito. It’s another to face a much bigger opponent with speed and ring savvy. That is the rationale behind Top Rank CEO Bob Arum’s decision to eliminate middleweight champion Sergio Martinez from Pacquiao’s list of future opponents.
In the wake of his stunning second round KO of Paul Williams last Saturday, Sergio Martinez has leaped as high as #3 on some pound for pound lists. With both Pacquiao and Mayweather having competed at junior middleweight before, some think both are viable options for Martinez, who is a small middleweight that earlier this year still held a title at 154 pounds.
But Bob Arum sees middleweight, and the opportunity of a title in his ninth weight class, as too steep a climb for the Filipino star. As proof, Arum cites the problems Pacquiao had with Margarito, even though he dominated in rounds. Following that fight, Pacquiao had to cancel media appearances due to injuries to his wrist and ribs.
“You know, it’s really not far to talk about having a Manny Pacquiao, or, even, a Floyd Mayweather, go up two divisions to fight Sergio Martinez,” Arum told AOL Fanhouse. “Because even if he beat Martinez, which I believe that he would, and even if he turns it into a fairly easy fight, because he’s fighting someone who is a much bigger, stronger guy, he could get hurt like he did in there against Antonio Margarito.”
The frontrunner for Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent is a welterweight matchup with Shane Mosley.
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I’m ambivalent about Bob Arum’s comments. On one hand, Sergio Martinez definitely presents a huge challenge for smaller guys like Mayweather and Pacquiao. And you can’t really duck someone who competes two divisions higher than you. On the other hand, don’t fool the public by moving up in weight and taking on soft touches instead of the recognized best fighter in the division.
Any boxing fan that followed the sport closely knew Margarito had no chance against Manny Pacquiao. Yes, he had size, but that was it. That advantage was nullified when we saw Pacquiao hold his own with legit welterweights (Cotto, Clottey). The WBC title Pacquiao won, which made history in being his eighth title in a different weight class, rings hollow because of who it was against. In Martinez, Pacquiao would be facing the best fighter between 154-160 pounds. To add historical context, Alexis Arguello had the opportunity to face one of the paper champs at 140 pounds when he moved up to try to become the first fighter to win titles in four different weight classes. Instead of taking the easy route, he went after the recognized best in the division in Aaron Pryor.
That’s all that should be required if you move up. Face the best there. If Pacquiao feels 154 is too much after testing the waters, that’s completely understandable. But that also means don’t turn around and end up facing someone like Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr at 154. On Mayweather’s end, his talk of wanting the winner of Martinez-Williams was probably just that, talk. He’s been saying that as early as post-fight press conference after defeating Shane Mosley in May. But just going on the 154 pound version of Mayweather we saw against De La Hoya, it’s difficult to envision that Floyd coming out with a W.
Ironically, it may be Sergio Martinez looking too good that helps Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather focus more on making the fight with each other.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 