By Chris Williams: IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO’s) is hoping the gets the pick for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s next fight in early 2012. Peterson, who is riding high right now after being Amir Khan last month by a 12 round split decision, is looking to cash in with a big payday against the Filipino star.

Peterson, 27, already has a $1 million offer on the table from Khan and Golden Boy Promotions for an immediate rematch as long as Peterson is willing to fight Khan in a neutral venue. However, Peterson wants to get a big payday, bigger than the one million offer from Khan and Pacquiao is the best option to accomplish that now that WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is about to start serving a 90-day jail term starting January 6th.

Peterson told RingTV this about wanting to fight Pacquiao: “I’m all for it. If I get that call, I’ll be ready to go…Manny Pacquiao is definitely one of the best. So I’m anxious to see how my style matches up with him.”

A week earlier Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach was gushing like a school girl over the thought of seeing Pacquiao face Peterson, saying to RingTV “I think that Lamont Peterson is a great opponent for Manny Pacquiao if the fight [with Floyd Mayweather Jr.] does not happen.”

Let’s be clear here. A fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather will not happen! Mayweather is going to jail and even when he gets out, Bob Arum will likely keep looking for softer opposition rather than letting Mayweather wreck his little money train. It’s interesting that Roach wants to see Pacquiao face Peterson. I wonder if this has to do with how badly Roach failed his fighter Amir Khan in teaching him how to deal with Peterson. That was a big fail on Roach’s part because Khan looked totally unprepared for what he was dealing with from Peterson.

That’s not just Khan’s fault. It starts in training camp with what the trainer is teaching the fighter and the right kind of sparring they’re getting. Khan looked as if he were fighting for the first time in his life with a guy that can fight on the inside in Peterson. I see that as Roach’s fault. By convincing Pacquiao to deal with Peterson, it will be like Roach gaining a bit of revenge in a warped kind of way.

Pacquiao could soften Peterson up just enough so that Khan can actually beat Peterson in a rematch, even if Roach fails to teach Khan a thing about how to fight on the inside before the rematch. At least Pacquiao will beat Peterson. I’m sure Peterson will have no problem facing Pacquiao and taking his beating like a man if he can get a payday of $3 million or more.