Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Berto: Each 1 Fight From Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is at the top of a huge heap of competitors. Many of the boxing public are consumed in debate as to who Pacquiao will choose to be his next opponent. Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank, and its owner Bob Arum have claimed to narrow down the choices of opponent to Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Berto.

These opponents each have their argument as to why they should be next, but here's a unique path to proving their worth. They should let their fists do the talking because each man is one fight away from Pacquiao.

Juan Manuel Marquez:

Marquez has fought Pacquiao twice before: in 2004 for a Featherweight (126 pounds) world title to a draw some believe could have went either way, and again in 2008 for a Super Featherweight (130 pounds) title to a controversial split-decision victory for Manny Pacquiao some believe could have went to Marquez.

Now Marquez fights at Lightweight (135 pounds) and Pacquiao fights at Welterweight (147 pounds). The difference is a problem.

Juan Manuel Marquez has fought only one time above 135 pounds and that was against the natural Welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 147 pounds. Suffice to say, Marquez was brutally beaten. Pacquiao is the big pound for pound number one fighter in the game so he doesn't want to go down in weight to fight Marquez. Bob Arum has already said that he doesn't see Marquez as big an attraction as Shane Mosley.

One fight can solve that.

Amir Khan spoke of Juan Manuel Marquez as a potential opponent before Khan signed on to fight Marcos Maidana. Khan is a popular rising star of the 140 pound division. Both Khan and Maidana fight for Goldenboy Promotions. Having one promotional company makes making a fight drastically easier as long as both fighters wish to fight.

Since Khan holds a world title, Marquez could fight to potentially become the first Mexican born fighter to win a world title in a fourth weight division. Khan would have a fight against a legend with a name that could net him another notch of notoriety than he currently gets with his current level of competition.

140 pounds is a weight class Pacquiao dominated last year with a second round KO over Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao weighed 144 pounds in his last fight versus Margarito, only four pounds above the Jr. Welterweight limit. The Jr. Welterweight limit may be a feasible meeting place for Pacquiao and Marquez.

If Marquez can win a world title in that division, he increases his chances of Pacquiao having a competitive reason for coming down a weight division to fight him.

Of the three major world title holders at the Jr. Welterweight division, Khan may be the easiest to land a deal with, but he is a young powerful fighter.

Marquez is 37-years-old compared to Khan's 23. Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander are competitive and also in their 20's. Now Marquez does have a history of using experience to beat down and sometimes knock out younger competition such as 30-year-old Katsidis and 27-year-old Juan Diaz, but there is one easier option at Jr. Welterweight.

That easier option is to fight the winner of Mabuza vs. Judah. Zab Judah is 33 and considered finicky. Mabuza is not as highly ranked as the other competition. They're set to fight for the vacant IBF (International Boxing Federation) title at Jr. Welterweight. The only problem with this fight is the lack of credit Marquez might get for facing the winner.

Mabuza is not well known. Judah is considered to be a fading star. Defeating one of the younger top fighters in the 140 pound division makes the best kind of statement for Marquez.

Of the best statements Marquez can make in the 140 pound division, beating Amir Khan would be the loudest. Beating Khan means he will have beaten Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, who happens to also be Khan's trainer. This will certainly get under Manny Pacquiao or, at least, Freddie Roach's skin. A Pacquiao-Marquez showdown would be deemed more necessary and more competitive as long as it is fought at 140 pounds.

Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto:

Shane Mosley is being called old because his last two fights showed him to be just that, old. He fought a fast and calculating Mayweather in May of 2010. Mayweather beat him badly using swift boxing skills to neutralize Mosley's offense.

In September, Mosley fought to a draw against a mere boxing contender in Sergio Mora who fought a boring sluggish boxing fight choosing not to trade punches, but to just defend. In order for Mosley to regain any momentum from the boxing fans to fight Pacquiao, he will need to face off against a young, fast and powerful fighter, Andre Berto.

Andre Berto was supposed to fight Mosley in January of 2010, but that fight was cancelled so Berto could help his fellow Haitians out during the earthquake disaster and Mosley could get a beat down from Mayweather.

Berto is a young boxer, undefeated after winning 27 bouts and 21 of them via knockout. Berto is a great test at Welterweight. He's the last challenge besides Mayweather and Pacquiao currently fighting in the weight division. If Mosley could get into a firefight with the young man, perhaps Mosley's old skills and experience from past firefights could assist him in beating the “0” out of Berto's record.

With that fat “0” beat into a slim “one”, Mosley will have proven it was the boxing styles of the past fighters that beat him and not his age. Pacquiao goes toe to toe with most opponents, sometimes going in and out of punching range, but he always trades punches. If Mosley lights up Berto, knocking him out will prove in most boxing fans' eyes that he can have a decent chance at beating Pacquiao.

Andre Berto:

The same goes for Berto. If he fights Mosley and defeats him, a fight with Pacquiao is inevitable. Berto isn't a big name, but he's young and talented. One of the reason's he's not a big name is that there aren't many great names willing to fight him.

Mosley was the only popular fighter Berto could lure into a matchup. If Berto could lure Mosley into that matchup once again and actually go through with the battle and come out victorious, Pacquiao will be only a contract signature away.

And for extra credit, Berto needs to knockout Mosley, giving Mosley his first knockout loss. Berto would transcend his current status as Welterweight contender to become a member of the Welterweight elite, deserving in many minds, fights with Mayweather or Pacquiao.

Marquez vs. Mosley vs. Berto:

These three fighters are each only a fight away from fighting Pacquiao. No matter which one of them Pacquiao chooses to fight, if the others chooses to fight the fighters they need to fight to prove their worthiness, they'll get the next fight wit Pacquiao guaranteed as long as they win.

Marquez needs to beat a top 140 pounder to prove that weight doesn't matter. Mosley needs to fight Berto to prove age doesn't matter. Berto needs to fight Mosley to prove he's not just an overrated untested Welterweight contender. No matter what happens next, the boxing fans are sure to get a great show from these amazing fighters.