(PHOTO CREDIT: Gene Blevins – Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions) By Duke Pahulu: If, as expected, Floyd Mayweather Jr. beats WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto Saturday night, he’ll spend the following next three months in jail. If all goes well and Floyd decides to fight at the end of the year, the question is who will he fight.
If its not Manny Pacquiao, and that’s a good possibility, what other fighter will make sense? There are two other reasons for Floyd to go back down to 147 for a possible December fight. Andre Berto might be a good choice if he wins in good fashion against Ortiz in their rematch. Another fighter would be Amir Khan if he looks good against Lamont Peterson in their rematch. But my gut feeling is that both rematches are even money fights and neither Berto or Khan will blow out their respective opponents.
So that would leave Floyd stuck at 154. There are two big fights at 154. One is Canelo Alvarez. Even though he has a big following, he’s still green and we already seen Floyd in there with a strong but green young fighter in Victor Ortiz. That leaves me to my dark horse. Sergio Martinez. Now hear me out! A couple of weeks ago, news broke out that the winner of Chavez Jr vs. Andy Lee will fight Martinez in the fall. But I already hear inklings that Antonio Margarito might get the Chavez fight in the fall.
As sad as it sounds, Margarito is a bigger name than Martinez. So if that fight happens and Martinez is left in the cold, Floyd may offer him the fight. Now this is why Floyd should fight Sergio Martinez. Martinez said it himself that he still considers himself a junior middle so if Floyd offers him a fight at 154, he’ll take it in a heartbeat. A fighter that barely makes a million a fight will never nix a possible 5 million dollar payday.
It’s been around 4 years since Martinez fought at 154 and he looked a little shaky after he “knocked out” Kermit Cintron in the 7th round. Cintron was able to find a home with his big right hand in the second half of that fight. And who knows how Martinez will look at 154 nowadays. The guy has looked shaky in his last two fights against not so remarkable middleweights.
If Floyd takes the Martinez fight, he has a chance to clear any doubt about his claim being the best fighter in the world without even fighting Manny. And this is an even money fight. Both fighters start slow and dominates the second half of the fight.
Floyd still has trouble fighting southpaws, don’t let the Ortiz fight fool you! Above all else, Martinez deserves a superfight for the big run he put together in the past five years. This may be wishful matchmaking, but its one of the good things about being a boxing fan.
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