By Lyle Fitzsimmons
Being Manny Pacquiao means never having to spend fight night alone.
The dollar signs that the global Filipino phenomenon brings with him everywhere he travels rival pretty much anyone in the sport not nicknamed “Money,” so there will presumably never be a shortage of guys who want to get in the ring with him – for the payday, if not the legitimate chance to win.
And given Saturday night’s perpetual pursuit and intermittent capture of unheralded (read: underserving) challenger Chris Algieri in the Far East, that reality isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
It’s not that Manny did anything less than usual against the fleet-footed Long Island imposter, but rather that it’s sort of difficult to look truly transcendent against a guy whose battle plan essentially began with giving away the first four rounds and devolved from there into a full-throttle quest for survival.
Whether that means those now willing to meet Pacquiao are basing their bravado on suspect evidence is still to be determined, but the point remains that – even at 140 pounds – he’s not without options.
The question then becomes, which ones are the best ones?
For my money, and if I were doing the matchmaking, it’d be a three-tiered answer.
My first order of business, if I were Bob Arum, would be to dial-up old pal Oscar De La Hoya and make a blockbuster suggestion that’d bury the “Cold War” hatchet forever.
My top guy at 140 (Pacquiao) against your top guy at 140 (Danny Garcia) for the championships of the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and any other entity worth its weight in ground chuck.
(No offense, Jessie Vargas… but your “regular” title belt isn’t worth its weight in ground manure – and anyone who labels your fights as championship bouts is far more part of the problem than the solution.)
It’s the best fight out there not involving anyone not nicknamed “Money” (not to mention, one that Pacquiao’s got a far better chance of winning), and presumably a far easier one to make provided that De La Hoya can work his “Golden Boy” magic with Garcia’s omnipotent handler, Al Haymon.
Do it in Brooklyn. Do it in Vegas. Do it in Antarctica if you can get a decent venue.
Just do it.
And once it’s done, presuming Pacquiao wins (a big presumption, but necessary for our purposes here), go ahead and make the second call – this one to the 805 in Oxnard, Calif. – to see if talkative trainer Robert Garcia is willing to take another ride on the Manny Express, this time with little brother Mikey.
The youngster has held belts at 126 and 130 already, but claims he walks around closer to 160 and no longer wishes to put himself through the agony for the so-so possibilities that exist at junior lightweight. Junior welterweight is a far different animal, though, especially now that Freddie Roach has insisted that it’ll be his man’s resident weight class in the absence of a thus-far nonexistent “Money” shot.
Straighten out whatever legal haggles exist between the Garcia and Top Rank camps and get something signed, then sit back as big brother Robert makes yet another attempt at premium-cable prediction accuracy after previous 24/7 and All Access misfires with guys named Rios and Maidana.
Hands down, this would be his best opportunity yet. Because his brother can flat-out fight.
And if you ask me, it’s a natural for the big stadium in Texas that the Cowboys play in. But I’ll be just as happy to watch it in a Nevada casino arena or an Afghan bomb shelter, so long as I get to see it.
Last but not least is admittedly a conditional suggestion a few days prior to the weekend.
But if Terence Crawford does what he’s supposed to do with a tough Ray Beltran in Omaha, he instantly becomes the stock you’d need to buy if it was listed on the “Future Big Foe for Manny” exchange.
Because, so far at least, the kid looks like the total package.
He can box. He can punch. He can adjust and rally on the fly. And he’d be a hell of a story coming from Middle of America to a fight the most recognizable boxer on Earth not nicknamed “Money.”
Put one of these together and Bob’s a happy guy.
Put two of them together and he cements an already Canastota-level legacy.
Put all three of them together and we need never waste time discussing Pacquiao and a guy nicknamed “Money” again, because it’ll have been rendered obsolete by its own dramatics.
Dare to dream.
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This week’s title-fight schedule:
SATURDAY
IBF featherweight title – Omaha, Neb.
Evgeny Gradovich (champion/No. 6 IWBR) vs. Jayson Velez (No. 7 contender/No. 41 IWBR)
Gradovich (19-0, 9 KO): Fourth title defense; Fifth fight scheduled for 12 rounds (4-0, 1 KO)
Velez (22-0, 16 KO): First title fight; Fifth fight in the United States (4-0, 3 KO)
Fitzbitz says: I wasn’t a believer the first time I saw Gradovich, in the first fight against Dib. But by the second time I saw him, he’d convinced me of his skill. That’s enough for me here. Gradovich by decision
WBO lightweight title – Omaha, Neb.
Terence Crawford (champion/No. 1 IWBR) vs. Raymundo Beltran (No. 1 contender/No. 4 IWBR)
Crawford (24-0, 17 KO): Second title defense; Second fight in Omaha (1-0, 1 KO)
Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KO): Second title fight (0-0-1); Thirty-third fight in United States (27-5, 13 KO)
Fitzbitz says: Beltran is a good, tough fighter who’ll be ready for a primetime chance, but he’s up against a guy who appears to be a truly special talent. Put him on the Pacquiao future list. Crawford by decision
SUNDAY
IBO super flyweight title – East London, South Africa
Lwandile Sityatha (champion/No. 29 IWBR) vs. Michael Dasmarinas (No. 45 contender/No. 57 IWBR)
Sityatha (17-3-1, 7 KO): First title defense; Sixth fight scheduled for 12 rounds (4-0-1, 0 KO)
Dasmarinas (18-1, 11 KO): First title fight; Second fight outside the Philippines (1-0, 0 KO)
Fitzbitz says: The South African hadn’t given much indication that he was about to win a title, so it’s no surprise that I’m still not feeling the love. I think the kid (22 years old) gets it done. Dasmarinas in 9
Last week's picks: 4-0 (WIN: Miura, Gonzalez, Pacquiao, Lomachenko)
2014 picks record: 84-27 (75.6 percent)
Overall picks record: 631-221 (74.0 percent)
NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.
Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.
