By Dan Ambrose: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has already reserved the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, for Manny Pacquiao’s next fight on April 16th in 2011. Arum is looking to put a fight together between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and has reportedly contacted promoter Don King in hopes of arranging a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
However, Arum didn’t have much luck in that endeavor. He’s still holding out hope that Mayweather will take the fight with Pacquiao next, but it’s not looking good right now given Mayweather’s legal problems and his silence on the subject of when he plans on fighting next. When Mayweather is in the mood to fight, he’s not quiet about making his intentions known.
Besides Mayweather, Arum is looking at three other possibilities – Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Juan Manuel Marquez. Arum hasn’t officially made the choice of who will be the backup plan for Pacquiao if Mayweather doesn’t agree to a fight, but it’s looking like Arum likes the idea of Pacquiao fighting Mosley rather than Berto or Marquez.
Arum doesn’t see those two fighters as being the same kind of draw as Mosley, and that’s Arum’s number #1 priority. He’s looking for the fighter that brings in the most money. If the opponent ends up being Marquez, which right now is looking doubtful, there won’t be much of any catch weight to accommodate Marquez.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is reportedly saying that Pacquiao won’t go below 144 ½. That fight weight won’t matter for Berto or Mayweather, but for Marquez to have a decent chance at beating Pacquiao, he’s got to have a catch weight of at least 140. He fights at 135, and even at that weight he appears to be maxed out in terms of size.
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