By Chris Williams: I hope Bob Arum has been closely watching how Manny Pacquiao has been deteriorating in the ring in his last few fights, because if Arum wants to get that big money that’s available in a Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight then he’s going to have to unleash Pacquiao and let his prize money fighter take the fight with Floyd really soon.
If Arum continues to match Pacquiao against his Top Rank stable fighters and keeps him from facing Mayweather, he could end up with a lot less money to show for it when Pacquiao takes another loss or wins another controversial decision where he appeared to lose. I’m afraid boxing fans will desert the Pacquiao bandwagon like rats deserting a sinking ship if Pacquiao suffers another loss. The thing is the Filipino is very likely going to do just that in his next fight if Arum matches him up against one of the following fighters: Miguel Cotto, Tim Bradley or Juan Manuel Marquez. At this point in his career, I think Pacquiao has aged to the point where he can’t beat those guys. He never did beat Marquez in my book, but he probably really can’t beat him now that Pacquiao has lost several steps and can no longer fight hard for three minutes of every round.
Arum needs to wise up and smell the coffee. The Pacquiao gravy train is slowing down and that big money that Arum could get for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is about to leave town unless he acts quick and cashes out. Matching Pacquiao against Bradley, Marquez or Cotto isn’t a milk job like some people think it will be. It might have been a milk job against Cotto or Bradley three years ago, but that Pacquiao is long gone. He’s aged something fierce since 2009 and looks like a completely different fighter now.
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