By Jim Dower: Manny Pacquiao could be facing one of three possible opponents next if he can get by Antonio Margarito this Saturday night. According to Dan Rafael at ESPN, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum is looking at the prospects of matching Pacquiao up with either Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez or Shane Mosley next provided that he beats Margarito. Of the three, Mosley might be the most interesting match-up because he’s the only one of the three that Pacquiao still hasn’t fought and he’s an African American and Pacquiao has never fought one thus far in his career. He fought Joshua Clottey, but he’s from Ghana.

Arum said “When was the last time that Pacquiao fought an African-American? When was the last time?” This isn’t why a match between Pacquiao and Mosley is interesting. For me, I like the fight because Mosley, if he has anything left, he has the skills to make for an exciting fight with Pacquiao as long as there’s no weight debilitating catch-weight involved. If Mosley is forcied to fight Pacquiao at 143 or below, then it should be an easier fight for Pacquiao because Mosley will be too weak at that weight to compete with Pacquiao.

However, at 147, Mosley is more than good enough to give Pacquiao a lot of problems. The only problem with this fight taking place is that Mosley is currently being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, and for a Pacquiao-Mosley fight to happen, Arum would have to deal with them. Would be willing to do that? Let’s hope so, because this is an appealing fight and it likely will be the last chance for the fight to take place because Mosley is 39-years-old now and facing fast as a fighter. He doesn’t look like he has too much more time left in the sport before he’ll be on his way out.

Fights between Pacquiao and Marquez and Pacquiao and Cotto are repeats of previous fights. Pacquiao fought Marquez twice, once in 2004 and then another time in 2008. Both fights were very close, but Marquez has looked like he’s lost a step recently and he doesn’t fight as well at lightweight and light welterweight compared to the way he fought when he was at featherweight. Pacquiao would have a big advantage if he were able to force the fight to take place at 147, where Marquez would be slower from the weight that he’ll be forced to put on to make the fight. A rematch between Cotto and Pacquiao doesn’t really make much sense, because Cotto got badly whipped only year in a 12th round knockout loss and there doesn’t seem to be any point in a rematch between Cotto and Pacquiao ever taking place again.