By Dave Lahr: Antonio Margarito appears to be the perfect opponent out of the top junior middleweights for Manny Pacquiao to take on for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight title on November 13th.

Rather than taking on dangerous fighters like Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez or Alfredo Angulo or the vacant WBC title, Pacquiao is being matched against a fighter that was stopped in the 9th round only last by by 38-year-old Shane Mosley, and who looked weak and slow in his last fight against Roberto Garcia in May.

It was shocking how slow Margarito looked in his last fight as he was stalked around the ring by Garcia for 10 rounds. It’s easy to see that and picture Pacquiao in place of Garcia, drilling Margarito to pieces with blinding fast shots.

Arum is totally fixated in matching specifically Margarito against Pacquiao for the WBC title rather than someone that would give Pacquiao the fight of his life and perhaps the beating of his life if he were to fight Williams or Martinez.

The whole reason for stepping up in weight and fighting Margarito an 151 pound catchweight is for Pacquiao to try and win an 8th world title in as many weight classes.

Pacquiao’s chances of capturing that title would drop dramatically if he was to be matched tough against Williams, Martinez or James Kirkland. Margarito, with his lack of hand speed, painfully slow movements around the ring, tendency to throw wide looping shots, his lack of power and dense, makes him the best possible opponent for Pacquiao to beat right now.

It’s pretty much a sure thing for Pacquiao to beat Margarito. Then after he beats him, Pacquiao can turn around and fight a rematch against Miguel Cotto early next year in another easy fight for a title.

But what’s missing is a good opponent for Pacquiao to be matched against. Sergio Martinez, Williams, Kirkland and of course Floyd Mayweather Jr. Those are all fighters I would pick to beat Pacquiao if Arum was to match him against them. I don’t think he will.

To be sure, Arum wants to match Pacquiao against Mayweather, but putting the fight together is probably an impossibility because of the different demands that both fighters want. Mayweather wants a bigger cut of the revenue and Pacquiao to take the full random blood tests, whereas Pacquiao wants a 50-50 deal and wants limits on the blood testing. The fights just not going to happen.