By Dan Ambrose: Top Rank has signed former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (32-3-1, 28 KO’s) to a promotional contract and Bob Arum of Top Rank is saying that the 31-year-old Cintron is a potential opponent for his number #1 fighter Manny Pacquiao. Cintron hasn’t fought since he dove out of the ring a year ago in a 4th round technical decision loss to Paul Williams in May 2010. Cintron has done zero since then, although he has been trying to get a fight without luck against WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto.

But with the signing with Top Rank, who also promotes Pacquiao, Cintron is now in the running to get a shot against Pacquiao in the future. It’s not a particularly interesting fight right now given how little Cintron has done in the past three years in the ring. Cintron was beaten for the second time by Antonio Margarito in 2008, and then picked up wins against aging 38-year-old Lovemore N’dou, and then got a gift 12 round draw with Sergio Martinez in a fight that Cintron appeared to have been knocked out in. Then Cintron got an impressive win over Alfredo Angulo and Juliano Ramos before his last unimpressive fight against Williams.

Cintron is the type of fighter that blows hot and cold. Sometimes he looks good but then just self destructs in bad performances. It would be terrible to see him in with Pacquiao right now. However, in looking at who Pacquiao is fighting now with his bout against another struggling fighter Shane Mosley, then a fight with Cintron would be kind of par for the course. Cintron is also in the running for the winner of the September rematch between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

It would give Cintron a chance to try and avenge his two losses to Margarito. I really wouldn’t like to see Cintron back in with Margarito because I see Cintron losing that fight no matter how far gone Margarito is as a fighter. Cotto would beat him as well. I’d rather see Cintron try and redeem himself by fighting someone like Mike Jones.

That’s probably not going to happen though. Jones isn’t popular enough for the Cintron-Jones fight to make a lot of noise and it would have to be an undercard fight. Cintron might be able to beat Jones if he could move around a lot. I doubt it though. But I really don’t want to see Cintron in with Pacquiao, but I can see this fight happening. Cintron is the kind of fighters that Pacquiao has been matched up with in the past three years.