By Chris Williams: Bob Arum has already tipped his hand about who he’s going to match up against his # 1 cash cow fighter Manny Pacquiao on April 16th next year at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Instead of a competitive match between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez or Andre Berto, Arum is going to select the aging 39-year-old Shane Mosley to be Pacquiao’s next victim. This will be another one of Arum’s gems, if you want to call it that, for Pacquiao. In his last two fights, Pacquiao has been put in with Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.
I don’t think there’s too many people in boxing that would have chosen either of those opponents for Pacquiao, because neither of them were close to being big stars or huge boxing office draws. And both of them weren’t looking great just prior to being matched against Pacquiao. However, both of them were part of Arum’s Top Rank stable, meaning he wouldn’t have to share the money with another promoter. I personally hated both of those fights, but I think I hate the thought that Mosley might just well end up as Pacquiao’s next opponent.
It’s one thing if you’re selecting guys that just never were all that good to begin with and are coming off serious recent beatings, but it’s another thing to select a guy like Mosley who is starting to show serious signs of wear and tear and who arguably should have lost his last fight. Mosley got a 12 round draw against Sergio Mora in his last bout, and before that he was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. How Arum sees that as being good credentials for a fight against Pacquiao I have no idea.
Isn’t the object to match Pacquiao against guys that are fighting well? I don’t understand that kind of move. Miguel Cotto, who Pacquiao fought at a catch weight handicap last year for his then WBO welterweight title, hadn’t looked good since being stomped on by Antonio Margarito at the time he fought Pacquiao. Clottey had just come off a loss when he fought Pacquiao. Ricky Hatton had recently been beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and had been staggered by fringe contender Juan Lazcano in his next fight after the Mayweather loss. So why is Pacquiao being matched against struggling fighters for paper titles? It’s more than off putting to me.
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