Manny Pacquiao: Is the Pound-for-Pound King Running Out of Worthy Opponents?

After sending Antonio Margarito to a hospital in Dallas for surgery following their brutal encounter in Texas, Manny Pacquiao is running out of worthy opponents in the welterweight division where he intends to fight in the next two or three matches before calling it a day.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza have agreed earlier Manny Pacquiao will move back from junior middleweight where he is the current WBC champion to welterweight where he performs best.

It may be recalled that Pacquiao tried to add extra weight for his middleweight campaign where he sought his eight title in as many weight classes.

But the more he tried to add extra weight the more he became sluggish. His strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza found out later Pacquiao performs best at 147 or below and it is this weight level the Filipino boxer will fight starting mid next year.

The decision by Team Pacquiao to concentrate and campaign in the welterweight division practically limits his choice of opponents for his next fight.

Most of the worthy prospective opponents are up in the middleweight division and they are automatically disqualified as candidates for a shot at the new pound-for-pound king.

In the welter where Pacquiao will choose his next opponent, there are only three or four possible choices which include Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto.

Anyone in the welter who is qualified to face Pacquiao other than the four mentioned here may not be able to help in drawing the crowd for the fight and therefore the promoters will not risk their money on them or spend extra money for their media popularity campaign.

Among the four, Shane Mosley has been actively seeking Pacquiao's Pacquiao's blessings. He was the first possible candidate to knock at Pacquiao's door and had in fact waited long hours to speak personally to the Filipino boxer at the post-fight conference last November 13 but he was not successful.

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said, Mosley is a possibility.

In the case of Juan Manuel Marquez, Arum has been saying the Mexican dynamite must show his worth by winning in his upcoming fights and follow Pacquiao in the welterweight level. Right now Marquez is the king of the lightweight division.

Miguel Cotto is coming as a dark horse having been a legitimate welter for quite a while but critics say the Puerto Rican has shown his best performance against Pacquiao in their last encounter and they believe Cotto will no longer generate more excitement from the public.

Still the most ideal candidate for Pacquiao's next fight would be Floyd Mayweather, Jr. The twice scuttled match has been widely promoted and boxing fans are begging the undefeated boxer to conquer his fears and face Pacquiao in the ring.

Mayweather however must declare he is available next year to face the new WBC junior middleweight champion. Speculations are high, the undefeated boxer will have to serve prison term for various criminal cases he is facing at this time.

Bpb Arum says Mayweather should confer with his lawyers and come up with some kind of an assurance his court cases won't interfere with the fight.

Boxing fans are saying Mayweather is scared to face Pacquiao for fear of losing his "O", being undefeated in 41 professional fights. Others say he is afraid of Pacquiao as he would be humiliated by the Filipino boxer which could put him back to retirement for good.

The fact though remains Mayweather is still the most ideal opponent for Pacquiao considering his talent and skill plus his crowd-drawing ability, which no one in the list could match.

So it seems all roads lead to a Pacquiao-Mayweather match soon. Let's all hope it happens next year.