Floyd Mayweather, JR – Manny Pacquiao Sweepstakes: Who Will be the Lucky Fighter to Face the Winner?

By Roy Bennett

Floyd Mayweather, JR. and Manny Pacquiao are working through the last increasingly tense days of preparation for their long awaited showdown on May 2, 2015. There, is a quickening of the pulse, and a palpable feeling of major anticipation building in the air as the world holds its collective breath for the sound of the first bell on fight night. After more than five years in the making this fight can’t come quickly enough for some. But when the dust settles and the winners hand is raised in victory what happens next? A rematch? Not necessarily. Unless, it’s a competitive and compelling contest with a dramatic ebb and flow to the action, I’m not buying into the theory of an automatic rematch. While the level of excitement surrounding the fight hasn’t been seen on this level in the sport for many years, I also sense a kind of anticipation fatigue about this match up.

Fans have built themselves up over it on numerous occasions over the years and were let down repeatedly when the fight never came to fruition. For the legion of boxing and general sports fans to buy into this whole thing a second time, Mayweather and Pacquiao must produce a fight that lives up to the considerable hype generated around it. If it turns out to be a one sided drubbing in favor of one man over the other, the winner will have slayed the proverbial dragon.

The shadow cast by his vanquished rival will be no more. It will be time for the victor to move on and seek further challenges. So who will get the next shot at the winner if the manner of victory is emphatic and decisive? While the water cooler conversations and online predictions continue unabated, the top boxers from junior welterweight to middleweight will be watching events unfold very closely. Some will move up in weight, some will move down in weight, and some will fight at a catchweight if need be. The winner of the May 2nd mega fight, at the Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, becomes the golden goose for any top boxer between 140 – 160 lbs looking to make a life changing payday. I’m betting one of the following ten boxers will get that phone call.

Should Floyd “Money” Mayweather emerge victorious from his world welterweight championship match with Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd, he will have one fight remaining on his six fight contract with Showtime Sports. Below is my shortlist of four front runners and one wildcard pick who he could end up facing, in what might be the last fight of his career.

Miguel Cotto

Pros: Would jump at the chance to get another crack at Mayweather and exact revenge for his points loss in 2012. Some believe Cotto drew enough blood and made things sufficiently difficult for Mayweather to warrant a rematch. It would be a big PPV fight.

Cons: Cotto is the reigning and lineal middleweight world champion and may not want to go back down to welterweight, and Mayweather might not want to go up in weight to accommodate him. Cotto has signed a contract with Roc Nation Sports. Mayweather is with Showtime. Sitting down at the same table for the promoters and getting the deal done may prove to be difficult.

Keith Thurman

Pros: Young, fresh, charismatic, and heavy handed. Thurman, aka “One Time,” has been making waves in the welterweight division for the last couple of years.

Cons: Has yet to fight in the rarified air of the top class. He is signed to Al Haymon’s PBC (Premiere Boxing Champions) banner. Mayweather may have to wait until he finishes the last fight on his Showtime contract before this fight can be made.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez

Pros: The young and popular Mexican warrior would like another shot at the man who outclassed him the first time round. Since then he’s rebounded by beating Alfredo Angulo and Erislandy Lara. James Kirkland is up next. If he beats Kirkland, aka as the “Mandingo Warrior,” in impressive fashion, Mayweather v Alvarez II once again becomes marketable PPV fight.

Cons: Fact. Canelo was comprehensively beaten by Mayweather in their 2013 fight, regardless of how CJ. Ross scored it. Alvarez needs to look very good against Kirkland to generate interest in a rematch.

Amir Khan

Pros: Has rebuilt his career under the watchful gaze of Oakland’s master boxing trainer Virgil Hunter. Khan is boxing smarter now, by getting in to deliver his payload and getting out before any incoming artillery from the opponent can test his chin. Good wins over Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander have revitalised interest in Khan’s stock.

Cons: Doesn’t have a big fan base in the U.S. or his native UK, which translates into not doing big PPV numbers or well at the gate.

Wildcard: Gennady “GGG” Golovkin

Pros: The Kazakstan KO artist is one of the most exciting boxers in the sport. His trainer Abel Sanchez has gone on record as saying “GGG” would be willing to drop down to 154 lbs for a big fight. A fight with Mayweather would definitely meet that criteria. I can dream can’t I?

Cons: Golovkin fights on HBO. Rival network Showtime would have to come to the table as they have Mayweather under contract for one more fight after Pacquiao.

Five possible choices for Manny Pacquiao

Now we’ll look at the alternative scenario. Should Manny”Pacman” Pacquiao beat Floyd Mayweather, JR. for his WBC and WBA world welterweight titles on May 2nd, who will he fight next if he chooses to continue boxing after the biggest win of his career? Here is my list of four front runnersand one wildcard pick to face the “Pacman” in what also could be the penultimate or final contest of his career.

Danny Garcia

Pros: Philadelphia boxer-puncher who, in that proud Philly gym tradition, always comes to fight. And who wouldn’t want to see Angel Garcia, Danny’s dad, go head to head with Freddie Roach at the press conference? The trainers trash talk to one another would probably help generate interest and boost PPV numbers before the boxers square off in the ring.

Cons: Garcia hasn’t looked good since shutting down and outboxing Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse. Add in the fact that Garcia is also under Al Haymon’s banner, and Pacquiao is with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, and it’s difficult to envisage this fight getting made.

Adrien Broner

Pros: The talented Cincinnati native wants to be a mini Floyd Mayweather, JR. He’s doing a good job of it. People are willing to spend their hard earned money to see him get beaten too.

Cons: Another Al Haymon boxer. If this is beginning to sound familiar, Haymon’s grand master plan is just getting started. He wants control of as much of the American boxing landscape as he can get. And he’s got the financial backing to make life uncomfortable for some of the other promotional companies. I can’t see Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, being invited to the Sunday BBQ for talks.

Lucas Matthysse

Pros: The big punching Argentine has thrown his hat into the mix with exciting and solid performances over the likes of John Molina and Ruslan Provodnikov. Always in tip top condition, his serious demeanour speaks volumes about his fighting attitude. He carries real one punch knockout power in either hand.

Cons: Not well known outside of the boxing hardcore.

Amir Khan

Pros: Yep. He’s on Pacquiao’s hit list too. Pacman’s former stablemate. Khan has said he trained just as hard as the Filippino icon under Freddie Roach, and got the better of him in sparring. If this fight can be made Khan gets the chance to back up his boast. Manny gets the chance to shut him up.

Cons: The growing shadow of a certain Kell Brook, the IBF titleholder, looms ever larger over Khan’s welterweight aspirations. If he can’t get a fight with Mayweather or Pacquiao, Khan may have no choice but to face his British rival or leave the division all together.

Wildcard: Terence Crawford

Pros: One of the hottest fighters in the sport. Has a big and committed partisan fan following. Skilled, versatile, and very dangerous. As they say in the trade, Pacquiao would be, “In tough,” in this match up.

Cons: Crawford has only just moved up to the jr welterweight division. Not ready to move up to welterweight just yet. However, Freddie Roach has hinted that his fighter would be more comfortable at 140 lbs. If Pacquiao beats Mayweather and the details can be worked out, this would be a very intriguing fight for jr welterweight supremacy. Pacman, The grizzled olwarrior
against Crawford, the young, supremely talented boxer who might be the future of the game. I’d pay to see it. Would you?