By Chris Williams: Trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr says that WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao likely won’t be the next opponent for WBA/WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr to fight next May. Mayweather Sr didn’t say why Pacquiao likely won’t get the fight but it could have something to do with Pacquiao still not having fully redeemed himself since his losses to Juan Manuel Marquez and Tim Bradley.
Pacquiao has won a couple of fights since then, but he’s still not faced anyone dangerous and he still hasn’t avenged his loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, who many boxing fans saw him losing to 4 times.
“More than likely it won’t be Pacquiao,” Mayweather Sr said. “I would say Amir Khan is No.1 on the list, but that’s still not even permanent. There’s still a few other fighters out there. I can’t say who’s permanent unless they ask for it.”
Amir Khan isn’t the greatest opponent for Mayweather to fight, but he does have a large following in the UK and in India and Pakistan. That makes him a good option. Khan’s hand speed, which many boxing fans rate as being above Pacquiao’s, as well as his gift for gab, makes him an ideal opponent for Mayweather to fight.
With Khan, Mayweather can let him do most of the talking and selling the fight. Khan can make a fight between him and Mayweather huge with his constant talking. Mayweather would just need to wind Khan up and let him do all the talking.
Pacquiao will remain in the running for a fight against Mayweather for perhaps September of 2015 as long as Pacquiao doesn’t get beaten along the way with one of the guys that his promoter Bob Arum matches him up against.
After Pacquiao’s fight against Chris Algieri in November, Arum will likely match him up against the likes of Mike Alvarado, Ruslan Provodnikov, Jessie Vargas or Danny Garcia. If Arum’s lucky, he’ll get Garcia for Pacquiao, but I kind of doubt it. I see Al Haymon blocking that fight from happening. If Arum can’t get Garcia, then it’s definitely going to be the likes of Alvarado, Vargas or Provodnikov.
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