By Caesar Almase: With all the negativity surrounding the decision on who will next fight Manny Pacquiao and the declining state of boxing in general, it’s time for something special in the sport. A series of fights involving Pacquiao and those who would challenge him. Pacquiao’s next card should feature him fighting Juan Manuel Marquez and in the fight immediately before that, as a co-headline event, Mosley v. Berto. The winners of each bout to fight each other for welterweight supremacy, later next year.

I think this would provide a huge boost to boxing and guarantee a PPV sale over a million, whereas, Pacquiao fighting any of the others alone on a card, is not necessarily guaranteed to do over a million, Mosley included. Both fights have good angles to sell–Marquez with his 0-1-1 beef, and the fact Berto doesn’t have a big name on his resume and that a fight with Mosley has stalled twice. It’s been quite awhile since something like a co-headlining event was held, and it would serve to only enhance the next fight in the series, whether it’s Mosley, who would’ve proven with a victory over Berto that he still had something left in the tank; or Berto who would’ve proven with a win over Mosley that he is for real.

Obviously Pacquiao would be the prohibitive favorite to win out, and that isn’t such a bad thing, if not for one very important reason: it will get him closer to a showdown with Mayweather. I think it would be a blow to the Mayweather Ego to be shoved so far out of the limelight, a limelight that will be shining on his division no less, and disregarded. Certainly, in some media circles and among the general public, there will be those who will take up the Mayweather banner and declare the whole event hollow or lacking meaning. They will be in the minority for sure, and Mayweather’s name will nonetheless be a peripheral noise in the background.

Of more note, is that Mayweather would be remembered as That Fighter Who Failed To Participate In The Welterweight Event Of His Generation, and then had no one worth fighting besides the winner. I would think the pressure would be too great for Mayweather, because That Fighter label would follow him everywhere and he would be constantly reminded of this failure should he try to cherry pick anyone but the winner of this showdown. Leading inexorably, finally, to the 2012 version of the Fight Of The Generation: Pacquiao v. Mayweather.

But this makes too much good sense and therefore, won’t happen. Because after all, this is boxing.