By Jason Kim: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum may really be looking forward to his fighter Manny Pacquiao fighting Antonio Margarito, another one of his Top Rank fighters, on November 13th, but I’m not so sure that this is the fight that Pacquiao really wants. Oh, Pacquiao will probably go through with it and fight Margarito, but given that Pacquiao is still talking about Mayweather rather than Arum’s chosen opponent for Pacquiao, the still without a boxing license Margarito, it looks like Pacquiao’s mind is elsewhere. In a statement from Pacquiao at Philboxing.com, Pacquiao had this to say: “This is the only way for Mayweather to save face. Make the fight happen in November and stop using Mr. Don King for publicity stunts. He claims he is the best. He says he is no. 1. There is only one way to prove his greatness and that is to face me. I should be ready by November.”

Does that sound like someone that is interested in fighting Margarito? I don’t blame Pacquiao. The Mayweather fight is the one he should be taking. And if that fight can’t be made, I think someone else needs to be selected that motivates him. I think Pacquiao isn’t interested in fighting Margarito and I can’t blame if he is. Where’s the upshot of facing a guy that was recently suspended for having loaded hand wraps and who still doesn’t have his boxing license even now. And Margarito was stopped by Shane Mosley only two fights ago.

This is like matching Pacquiao up with another Joshua Clottey, another one of Arum’s Top Rank fighters that Pacquiao just finished beating. If Pacquiao fights Margarito on November 13th, this will be the 3rd consecutive fight for Pacquiao against Top Rank fighters rather than guys from outside Arum’s stable. Isn’t time for Pacquiao to be matched against some other fighters? Mayweather is the fight that Pacquiao wants obviously. Maybe Don King can put this fight together and maybe he can’t right now.

But barring that from happening, I think Arum needs to give Pacquiao an opponent that gets him motivated and interests boxing fans at the same time. Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, Andre Berto or Timothy Bradley would all be excellent choices for Pacquiao to fight while he waits on the Mayweather fight. At least if he beats those guys, Pacquiao will get a lot of credit for having so. I can’t see Pacquiao getting much credit for beating Margarito, mainly because Margarito was already stopped last year and only looks like a shell of his former self.

This fight is two years too late. 2008, Margarito was at the top of his game, having beaten Kermit Cintron twice and having stopped Miguel Cotto, but Margarito doesn’t look like that anymore. If a fight with Mayweather can’t be put together, then at least give Pacquiao an opponent that motivates him and interests the boxing fans rather than trotting Margarito again followed by another fight with Cotto. What’s the point in wasting Pacquiao’s time with these fights when he has an opportunity to really make a mark on the sport? That can’t happen when Pacquiao is being matched up against fading fighters or ones that he already beat badly. I feel sorry for Pacquiao.