By Chris Williams: WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez could be on the verge of leaving his promotional company Golden Boy Promotions to get a shot against Manny Pacquiao according to speculation from the LA Times. However, Bob Arum, of Top Rank Promotions, is saying he doesn’t want to promote Marquez. But who knows? If Marquez leaves GBP, he would be a free agent like Shane Mosley, who recently went out on his own to get a big mega fight with Pacquiao on May 7th.

Having a fighter like Pacquiao in Arum’s stable is a tremendous recruitment tool, because these fighters would do anything to get a huge payday that a fight with Pacquiao would give. There’s already talk about WBC/WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley joining up with Top Rank just to get a shot against Pacquiao. However, it’s doubtufl that Arum will still want to sign up Bradley if he gets whipped by Amir Khan in Bradley’s last fight in his contract with Gary Shaw. Arum might want to hold off on signing up Bradley because he might not be the real thing.

Will Marquez leave Golden Boy just to get one last fight with Pacquiao? It isn’t like Marquez is going to be able to fight Pacquiao a 4th and a 5th time. He might want to think hard before he leaves Golden Boy. There isn’t anyone else popular enough for Marquez to fight besides Pacquiao with Top Rank. The other guys are too small. Can you picture Marquez fighting little Nonito Donaire? That would be a slaughter. As soon as Marquez tags Donaire a few times, he’d have him in full retreat and Donaire’s left hooks would be a joke against a skilled fighter like Marquez. He’d block them with ease and counter him all night long. It wouldn’t be an all night, though, because Donaire would be down fast once he starts getting hit.