By Lem Satterfield

Michael Koncz, the adviser of southpaw WBO welterweight champion, Manny Pacquiao, responded to recent assertions by southpaw WBC "emeritus" middleweight champion Sergio Martinez that he should be considered as the sport's top fighter, pound-for-pound, if Pacquiao is not as impressive during his May 7, title defense against Shane Mosley as Martinez was during Saturday's eighth-round knockout of southpaw WBO junior middleweight belt holder, Sergiy Dzinziruk.

Martinez (47-2-2, 26 knockouts) already has dethroned three-time winner Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) as boxing's 2010 Fighter of The Year as voted by the Boxing Writers Association of America, and will receive that award at the BWAA's dinner on May 6 in Las Vegas, the night before Pacquiao-Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) takes place at the MGM Grand.

Martinez told BoxingScene.com that he feels that he already has surpassed Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) as the second-best boxer in the sport due in large part to the five-division titlist's relative inactivity.

"Personally, right now, I feel that I'm No. 2 ahead of Mayweather. I feel that Manny Pacquiao is No. 1," Martinez told BoxingScene.com about Mayweather, who has not fought since May, when he scored a lopsided unanimous decision over Mosley.

"But the thing is that if Pacquiao doesn't have a great performance against Mosley, and if he doesn't beat Mosley the way that I beat Dzinziruk, then I'm right there," said Martinez. "If that doesn't happen, then I should take the No. 1 spot. And, of course, if Mosley beats Pacquiao, then, of course, I'm definitely the No. 1 guy."

Koncz contends that Pacquiao's motivation to do better than against Mosley than did Mayweather, who won going away after being badly staggered by Mosley in the second round.

In his past three fights, Martinez has both dropped and stopped Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) for the first in his career, flooring him once each in the fourth and fifth rounds and three times in the eighth; dethroned Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) as WBO and WBC middleweight champ by unanimous decision in April; and notched November's second-round stoppage of southpaw three-time, two-division titlist Paul Williams (39-2, 27 KOs) to avenge a December, 2010 majority decision loss during which both fighters hit the canvas in the first round.

Martinez, who stopped Williams for the first time in the latter's career, is 31-1-1, with 20 stoppages since being knocked out in the seventh round by former world champ, Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs).

Pacquiao has relinquished the WBC's junior middleweight belt, which he won with November's unanimous decision over Margarito that followed a March, 2011 decision over former world champion Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs) in defense of his WBO crown.

Koncz spoke to BoxingScene.com concerning Martinez, Mayweather and Pacquiao, who is after his 14th straight win and his ninth knockout during that run against three-division, five-time champion Mosley.

BoxingScene.com: What are your thoughts on the assertion by Sergio Martinez that he should be boxing's No. 1 fighter, pound-for-pound, if Manny Pacquiao doesn't whip Shane Mosley as badly as Martinez did in knocking out Sergiy Dzinziruk?

Michael Koncz: We're not really concerned about the pound-for-pound ratings. That's for the fans -- the people and the organizations to decide.  But Manny is just out to the best that he can be. As for Shane Mosley, Manny feels that it's very important that we have a tremendous showing against him.

He does not want to just to go in there and to win, or to just go in there and have a 12-round decision. But it's very important, we believe, to have a great showing against Shane Mosley.

BoxingScene.com: Are you saying that it's important because of what Sergio Martinez is saying or because, as you've said in the past, Manny wants to do to Shane Mosley what Floyd Mayweather couldn't -- score a knockout?

Michael Koncz: It's important to show that Manny can do something that Floyd Mayweather couldnt' do when he fought Shane.

BoxingScene.com: So the pound-for-pound title isn't as important to Manny Pacquiao as outdoing Floyd Mayweather?

Michael Koncz: I'm saying that it's not something that we monitor because it's nothing that we have control over. What's important to Manny is pleasing his fans. And if Manny's fans classify him as being the best pound-for-pound, then great. But for us to sit there and monitor the pound-for-pound ratings, we don't do that.

Like I said, No. 1, that's not something that we personally have control over.

BoxingScene.com: So it is more about Floyd Mayweather than Sergio Martinez?

Michael Koncz: I think that Floyd Mayweather should have been knocked out of the No. 1 spot for inactivity a long time ago. Again, we're very proud when Manny is announced as the best fighter, pound-for-pound. But are we devastated because someone else becomes pound-for-pound champion? No.

BoxingScene.com: Could there ever be a match up featuring Manny Pacquiao against Sergio Martinez?

Michael Koncz: You know, Martinez is not even in our plans. Where does he usually fight. At what weight does he fight at?

BoxingScene.com: Sergio Martinez is fighting as a middleweight, which is 160 pounds, has fought at junior middleweight, which, obviously, is 154 pounds, and hasn't fought at welterweight or 147 pounds since October of 2001.

Michael Koncz: So can he make 147? The fact is that we will fight anybody, anywhere, at any time -- as long as the economics are right, and, the weight is a maximum weight of 147.