Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Floyd Mayweather and Most Logical Opponents
Manny Pacquiao took care of business against Chris Algieri in China Saturday to once again move the discussion to a number of names as his future opponents that range from Floyd Mayweather to Juan Manuel Marquez and everyone in between.
Pacquiao-Mayweather is the elusive dream fight that everybody wants. The most money of any fight in history is to be made should it come to fruition, and it is painfully obvious the sport needs it, but it has been for the past five years and change, too.
With Pacquaio scoring six knockouts en route to the victory Saturday, the buzz around his skill is once again at a high despite his being placed in a favorable matchup.
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Now that he is riding a wave of momentum, there are four key names to watch for in regard to Pacquiao's next fight—Money included.
Juan Manuel Marquez
This is how boxing works, folks.
Of the most notable names Pacquiao could next fight, Juan Manuel Marquez rings the loudest from a promotional standpoint if Mayweather is not an option.
Yes, another bout between the two would be the fifth time and counting, but Marquez brings something to the table that most do not when they step in the ring with Pacquiao—he is a proven threat.
Think back to 2012 with the knockout heard around the world when Marquez dropped Pacquiao. That was the most decisive finish in the series, and while Marquez is over the age of 40, he certainly can still make a case as a top-10 fighter after taking care of business against Mike Alvarado this year.
Marquez is a great safety net for Pacquiao. Besides, he got his revenge for a prior loss to Timothy Bradley, but he has yet to redeem himself for that knockout against his old foe. Push comes to shove, part five is on the way.
Jessie Vargas
Who?
That is exactly the problem if Pacquiao next books a fight with Jessie Vargas. While one of the fastest up-and-comers in the sport and worthy of a bout with Pac-Man, the financial side of things would dramatically suffer when it comes to pay-per-view buys.
For those out of the loop, Vargas is a 26-0 fighter who defended his WBA World light welterweight title on the undercard Saturday against Antonio DeMarco.
In fact, Vargas was one of the key focal points of a card designed to elevate newer stars, especially on an international scale.
Trained by Roy Jones Jr., Vargas actually stacks up pretty well against Pacquiao in the ring. Even better, promoter Bob Arum would not have to leave the confines of Top Rank to book the fight. Then again, that may prove an issue as a bit of friendly fire if Vargas is to be the next big thing for the promotion.
Still, an underrated fight may not bring in the dollars, but it makes tons of sense.
Danny Garcia
The door is ajar for an outstanding showdown between Pacquiao and Danny Garcia now that cooler heads have prevailed between Arum and Oscar De La Hoya.
Garcia is one of the hottest names in the sport at the moment. The man has wins over Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse and Erik Morales with a recent knockout against Rod Salka to boot.
A bout with the unified junior welterweight champion has already been mentioned by Arum, too.
“What happens if Oscar [De La Hoya of Golden Boy] is right and he can free up Danny Garcia to fight Pacquiao? There are a lot of what-ifs,” Arum said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. “We’re concerned about Algieri. He’s a top opponent. After that we’ll look around.”
Garcia is an offensive-minded boxer akin to Pacquiao, which would make for some great action. The problem, of course, is actually getting viewers in the door. Once there, though, this would prove to be a great consolation prize if a Mayweather fight fails to come to fruition.
Floyd Mayweather
Now about that dream fight.
Odds are nothing comes to fruition. Like clockwork, Arum brought it up before Pacquiao's fight Saturday to essentially boost viewership of a lopsided encounter with Algieri that needed as much help as it could get.
After the fight, though, it was Pacquiao who spoke more candidly on the topic than ever.
“The people deserve that fight. The fans deserve that fight,” Pacquiao said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. “It’s time to make that fight happen. It’s been a long time. I want that fight. They’re always denying the fight. I think the fight has to happen.”
Could it happen? Sure, but remember that things have been nothing short of radio silence from Mayweather's camp as of late. Arum swears meetings have happened between HBO and Showtime, but the story has been heard time and again.
As it stands, both men are past their primes and offer waning skill sets. Make no mistake, the fight would still be the most lucrative in history and highly competitive. But once again, all talk about it is purely in a hypothetical sense.
Mayweather may be the most logical next opponent for Pacquiao, but that has been the case for half a decade or more.
Stats and info via BoxRec.com unless otherwise specified.
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