Pacquiao team target Mayweather
Pacquiao team target Mayweather
Pacquaio stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their WBO title fight
Manny Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach says he wants his fighter to take on unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr after seeing him defeat Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao, 30, stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their fight in Las Vegas on Saturday with a stunning performance to become a five-weight world champion.
It confirmed the Filipino's billing as the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.
"The whole world wants to see him fight Mayweather and I want Mayweather," said Roach after the WBO welterweight fight.
Pacquiao's victory over Cotto saw him complete an amazing 12 months in which he has defeated ring legend Oscar de la Hoya, as well as Britain's Ricky Hatton.
It took his record to 50 victories, three defeats, two draws with 38 knockouts to set up a potential clash with the world's previous pound-for-pound king Mayweather.
606: DEBATE
Manny is one of the best boxers ever, but there's a doubt in my mind if his sharp, quick hands can do anything to Floyd's defence
Macheda
The mercurial American returned to the ring from a short-lived retirement following his December 2007 victory over Britain's Hatton with a clinical unanimous decision win over Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez in September.
A fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather would have global appeal but the Filipino was reticent to talk about his plans for future fights in the immediate aftermath of his victory over Puerto Rico's Cotto.
"My job is to fight in the ring and I think that depends on (Top Rank's Bob) Arum my promoter to negotiate that fight," Pacquiao said.
"I'm just going to take a vacation first and spend time with my family and have fun."
But BBC Radio 5 live's boxing correspondent Mike Costello believes that despite the emphatic nature of his last three fights, meeting Mayweather would be an altogether different proposition.
"The great clamour will now be for this great showdown that everybody in boxing wants to see with Floyd Mayweather to decide who is the world's best pound-for-pound champion," said Costello.
Emanuel Steward
"If you look at Pacquiao's last three opponents - De la Hoya, Hatton and Cotto - then they don't offer anything like the defensive and elusive skills that Floyd Mayweather has.
"They also don't have the speed that Floyd Mayweather has. That's what makes it a fascinating match-up and that's why I would suggest that when it comes around it wouldn't be anymore than 50-50."
Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward was at ringside for Pacquiao-Cotto as a summariser for US broadcaster HBO and like Roach, sees only one logical next step for the 30-year-old Filipino.
"There's no doubt you have to go with Mayweather," said Steward.
"When you have a fight that's been made by the public more than the fighters, that's what happened with Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard.
"The public said we want that fight to happen and that's why it happened.
"I think they'll come together on the money but it's going to be a very intriguing fight because Floyd's a technical fighter.
"He knows how to wait back and box a little bit and it's going to be a lot different than it was against a guy who comes forward and is not that great on his defence."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8361324.stm
Reply With Quote
Re: Pacquiao team target Mayweather
Originally Posted by matthewy2
Social Networking Bookmarks