Miguel Cotto had a conference call with reporters today. And while it was just Miguel Cotto on the call, the presence of Manny Pacquiao was a constant. Reporters asked Cotto in a variety of ways whether or not he would fight Pacquiao. Cotto wasn’t biting, continually stating he is focused on his next opponent, Joshua Clottey. (Which is not an easy fight, by the way.)

If it should happen, a Pacquiao-Cotto fight would be a fantastic action fight, while Mayweather Jr., the man most people expect Pac Man to fight next, generally engages in dull fights.

All Cotto would say about Pacquiao, when asked about the Hatton fight, was this: “It was a very strong moment for Pacquiao.”

“Floyd, quit running. Stop running. Stop saying that, oh, you know, I’m not a pay-per-view attraction, or this or that,” Mosley said in a recent television interview. “I’ve been fighting longer than you. I’ve been making money longer than you. That’s probably why you’re coming back to the sport right now is because you need money, you lost your money, now you had to come back and get some more money.

“We can make money together, alright? So let’s do it,” he added.

Mayweather has said he will fight all top opponents during his return.

Pacquiao told them that Thai boxers are as talented as their Filipino counterparts and said he planned to recruit Thai boxers to join his MP Promotions which currently handles some talented Filipino fighters who get the breaks in the US because of Pacquiao.

Thai reporters teased Pacquiao by requesting him to sing while he had a hearty laugh when asked whether he could lend the Thai government some money to tide over its budgetary problems.

Pacquiao reportedly made a lasting impression on the Thai media who said he was “cheerful and smiling throughout” the press conference.

In an airport conversation with us, Pacquiao said he was grateful to the Thai Prime Minister and the other officials in Thailand as well as the media "for a great reception."

A lot of names have surfaced, itching to have a date with Pacquiao inside the squared circle. Probably the matchups that are likely to happen are bouts with welterweight champions Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. Pacquiao´s trainer Freddie Roach has already expressed their camp´s desire to fight either guy at a catch weight between 143 and 144.

There are other boxers who want a shot at Pacquiao but as for the time being, these two are the ones that make sense. The reason is that both fighters hold welterweight belts and a win over either one of them will give Pacquiao his sixth (or seventh) division championship, tying or possibly surpassing Oscar Dela Hoya´s record of six division championships. For Cotto and Mosley, a win against Pacquiao will raise their status to higher heights.

Popular Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao wants to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. if he wins over Juan Manuel Marquez in their fight scheduled for July 18th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao thinks that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will emerge as winner over Juan Manuel Marquez in their July 18th fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayweather has a lot of advantages. He is faster than Marquez and should be able to win, he said.

The good news is Pacquiao’s next fight is currently pencilled in for October 17th, most likely in Las Vegas. And hopefully this time, as much as we enjoy seeing spectacular knockouts, the action will last a little longer!

Reading the various chatter on the net, there are four or five names being spoken of as possibilities for Pacquiao’s October foe. There’s the winner of the July 18th clash between the returning Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez, there’s “Sugar” Shane Mosley, there’s Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, and, as an outside chance, seeing as how Pacquiao has said he has no real interest in facing him, there is Miguel Cotto. Either fight, begging the pardon of Chavez Junior, would be as good as can be expected in the quality match-up stakes.

Of course, there is the possibility Pacquiao will opt to take on another fighter entirely, but there’s a reasonable chance the 30-year-old, now all-time great, will face one of the names listed above. We all know who we WANT it to be - the Mayweather-Marquez winner. But that doesn’t mean it will happen. Not yet, anyway. if “Money” does as expected and wins on July 18th, he and Pacquiao will surely meet down the road, but it may not be until next year some time.

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao has received a hero’s welcome in the Thai capital of Bangkok during a whirlwind trip.
Veteran Bangkok Post columnist Edward Tangarajah told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports the reception Pacquiao received was amazing. He said the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound king met …

Few cases in point: Michael Spinks spiraled from being a World Champion all the way down to baby-sitting his brother during weekend visitations in just one fight with Tyson. Who can forget Ken North eating a series of Gerry Cooney head-shots while relaxing on the bottom rope before becoming relegated to spectator status? Although Joe Frazier did fight once more (to a draw) after Big George Foreman nearly decapitated him in the 5th round of their Kingston, Jamaica match for the WBC and WBA titles, he should’ve remained at home after the hammering. The list goes on ….

Bottom line is this - sometimes- not always - but sometimes when hard-hitting bangers get put in their tracks with a single shot to the head, it means their time is up. Something usually weakens in their mannerism, their arsenal, their game. Fighters have huge egos and there is nothing more real-life than a one-punch-knockout to send a strong warrior plummeting down to earth with us mere mortals.

MANILA, Philippines – The fight remains a dream showdown for now but trainer Freddie Roach already has an idea how his ward Manny Pacquiao will approach and break down Floyd Mayweather Jr if ever they climb the ring together.

“Floyd’s shoulder roll wouldn’t work against Manny,” Roach said when he guested recently on ESPN. “If he wants to lay on the rope, we’d love that. Manny will go to his body and Floyd will be broken down.”

Clamor for a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather bout remains high as ring aficionados want to see who will prevail in a battle between two pound-for-pound top guns.

Pacquiao has been the consensus P4P king since the unbeaten Mayweather retired a year and a half ago. Early this month, Mayweather announced his return to boxing, facing Pacquiao’s old rival Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 and claiming he’s still the No. 1 fighter in the planet and the sport’s top draw.

>"In the last five years, you would look at the results and say Marquez. He has fought better fighters, Pacquiao twice, Diaz. Who in the hell is Carlos Baldomir? Zab Judah? Past his prime Oscar and only wins by one point?

"I think Mayweather’s hand speed is faster but he only throws one punch at a time. Marquez throws punches in the proverbial bunches. I think that’s going to be an interesting factor to see if Floyd can deal with it. He can’t put himself on the ropes like he did with Hatton. He knew he could just counter him in between.

"Mayweather’s gotta come down to 144, is it easier to come up or go down? Oscar drained himself against Pacquiao, Antonio Tarver couldn’t make it coming after Rocky. It gets tough and he has no body fat so where does it come from? It comes from muscle. When you have a lot of imponderables, you have a great fight."