With Miguel Cotto refusing to rematch Manny Pacquiao at welterweight, Bob Arum has confirmed Timothy Bradley as the next likely opponent to face Pacquiao on June 9.
The undefeated Bradley made his debut under the Top Rank banner in November on the Pacquiao-Marquez III undercard, winning a late TKO over Joel Casamayor. However, Arum also explained that a Pacquiao-Cotto rematch could still happen if Miguel reconsidered leaving the junior middleweight division.
“Does it look closer to being Bradley? It looks closer to being Bradley, obviously, by the process of elimination,” Arum told Ring TV. “Pacquiao’s opponent will be decided late this week. We’ve got plenty of time.”
“What happens if Miguel Cotto comes back and says, ‘Okay, I’ll make the weight? That opens up another possibility. But right now, he’s saying that he wouldn’t.”
At press time, Arum has ended any negotiations with Floyd Mayweather to make a Pacquiao fight for May 5.
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