Manny Pacquiao vs. Kell Brook, Floyd Mayweather's Future Reviewed by Eddie Hearn
What next for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao? That’s one of the big questions being asked in the aftermath of their lucrative Las Vegas showdown and, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, the latter—who lost on a unanimous points decision to Mayweather—could be set to face his man Kell Brook.
Corey Erdman of Fight News Now spoke with Bleacher Report about that illustrious bout:
According to Riath Al-Samarrai of the Daily Mail, “informal discussions” have taken place between the two parties, although the prospect of a bout hinges on how Manny recovers from the shoulder injury that hampered him during the bout against the undefeated American.
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In his own column for the Daily Mail, Hearn confirmed these talks have occurred and provided a positive outlook:
"What next for Pacquiao? We need to see how his recovery goes with his shoulder but I spoke with Top Rank, his promoters, in Las Vegas and there is scope for a fight with Kell down the line.
Bob Arum sees it as a real possibility so let’s watch this space.
"
Those comments were backed up further by Arum: “Absolutely he could fight Pacquiao,” said the promoter, per Chris McKenna of the Daily Star. “I've never met Kell but I know Eddie very well and I've done business for years with Barry his father so they're good friends of mine.”
According to McKenna’s piece, after fighting Frankie Gavin on May 30, Brook—who is the IBF welterweight champion—will take on America's Brandon Rios this summer. That’s a bout which would enrich Brook’s reputation stateside and potentially open the door to more illustrious opponents further down the line.
Those fights would potentially give Pacquiao the appropriate time to recover from his shoulder surgery which, as we can see here courtesy of Breathe Sport, is set to sideline him for a while:
"Manny Pacquiao out for 9-12 months & to undergo surgery later this week for a significant tear in his right shoulder pic.twitter.com/9OH89LcNvF
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) May 5, 2015"
It was a knock that seemed to debilitate the Filipino in his bout with Mayweather. The fight was fought at a slow pace, neither man seemed willing to commit himself and, given the manner in which the American danced around the ring, many were quick to label the undefeated star a boring fighter.
But Hearn thinks that despite his divisive style, Mayweather should be respected:
"It’s been a long time since we have seen him trade punches. He seems to be getting more cautious the older he gets—he’s more keen to play cat and mouse. But don’t for one minute hold that against him.
We are talking about a genius. He is just a master of finesse and defence and counter-punching. People want to see a war but with Mayweather you have to appreciate the elusiveness and the tactics—he is special, but not in a way that will thrill many casual fans.
"
It’s a tough notion to disagree with, as Floyd—now unbeaten in 48 professional fights—dominated the latter rounds of the fight.
But with one fight left on his current Showtime contract—which Floyd said will be his last before retiring, per Bryan Graham of The Guardian—Hearn doesn’t think Mayweather will risk going up against someone like Brook or his compatriot Amir Khan:
"Mayweather has plenty of options now, including Brook, the IBF world champion, and Khan. I’m not sure I can see him taking a fight against either of those young lions, even though he would be a big favourite against them.
They wouldn’t even have to buy Kell a flight ticket to get to Vegas – he’d swim there. The long way round. But I can’t see Mayweather taking that fight. After making the money he has for fighting Pacquiao, he will think long and hard about the risk versus the reward of his next one.
I also can’t see Floyd fighting Khan next if he sticks to his plan of fighting in September. Given Khan has Ramadan, I wouldn’t see him fighting Mayweather until October or November, if at all.
"
For Brook, a win against Gavin backed up by another impressive display against Rios would certainly enhance his reputation. Provided he comes through those two fights, the Sheffield-born star would then be well equipped to take the step up against an elite fighter like Pacquiao or indeed Mayweather if he’s still active.
The fight between Manny and Floyd at he MGM Grand was a clear indication that both of these illustrious boxers are in the twilight of their careers. For the likes of Brook, there’s a wonderful chance to seize the spotlight and look to cement his status as boxing’s next welterweight superstar.
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