By Chris Williams: Bob Arum has Manny Pacquiao on course to fight Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight that could take place in September next year. With Pacquiao having been knocked out badly by Marquez, it might be safer for him to be matched against one of Arum’s other fighters because it’s not as if Marquez is going anywhere.
Marquez gladly wait to fight Pacquiao later in 2013 or in early 2014, as long as Pacquiao doesn’t get knocked out cold again by someone else that Arum puts him in with. Arum looks like he’s more interested in taking the Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight while he can still put it together because of the danger there is for Pacquiao if he puts him in with someone else. In other words, Arum is going for the money fight before Pacquiao gets put out of his misery by someone.
I still think the smart move for Arum is to match Pacquiao up against someone with a little less power in his first fight back from his KO. You don’t want to put Pacquiao back in with the guy that knocked him out cold just yet because its too dangerous for the Filipino.
Here are the fighters I think Pacquiao should fight first before facing Marquez:
Tim Bradley
Lamont Peterson
Devon Alexander
Victor Ortiz
Amir Khan
Jo Jo Dan
Out of that bunch I think the safest picks are Bradley, Dan and Peterson. None of them are big names, but Bradley would have to be the pick because he’s better known now after having fought – and beaten – Pacquiao last June. He’s a good choice because he can’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag, he’s already got a win over him that Pacquiao still needs to avenge, and he’s better known that Peterson and Dan.
What Pacquiao doesn’t need is to be put back in with Marquez right now because the Mexican warrior has transformed himself into a puncher with the help of his strength and conditioning trainer Angel Heredia. Marquez was never a big puncher during his career, but his transformation at 39 shows you how much you can change in your game with hard work and good nutrition.
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