MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao has narrowed down his choice to Miguel Cotto and Tim Bradley after being told that it’s becoming hopeless to aspire for a super showdown with Floyd Mayweather in the near future.
Pacquiao told the Bulletin that Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is working hard to put a deal in place for a June 9 fight in Las Vegas and that while Cotto is the lead candidate to land the lucrative payday, Bradley is not far behind.
Making a deal for a Cotto fight, however, has hit a wall after the Puerto Rican insisted that he is not willing to give in to Pacquiao’s demand that he drop to 147 lbs, saying he can go down not lower than 150 lbs because it’s been a while since he fought below 150 lbs.
“That’s what concerns me right now,” said Pacquiao, who had stopped Cotto in the 12th round in their Nov. 2009 battle.
With Cotto now more inclined to entertain an offer from Mayweather, who is looking for a dancing partner for his May 5 fight, the name of Bradley is now being floated.
But while the unbeaten Bradley is an attractive alternative to Cotto, Pacquiao admits that Bradley doesn’t have a strong fanbase at the moment that could help him reach greater heights on pay-per-view sales.
“Yeah, I know,” said Pacquiao when told about Bradley’s lack of name-recall.
Still, regardless of who will end up being picked as his next opponent, Pacquiao said he would set up camp in Baguio City for the initial phase of his preparation.
Pacquiao, 33, is coming off a hard-earned majority decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez and is eager to get back to the ring to show his fans and followers that he remains as the world’s No. 1 fighter.
Mike Koncz, the fighter’s adviser, should be arriving in Manila from the US any day now to finalize the details of Pacquiao’s next fight.
source: mb.com.ph
Philippine Peso Exchange Rate
