By Mark Vester
The welterweight dreamfight, Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, could actually stand a chance of becoming a reality. Before Antonio Margarito lost his boxing license for a full year, Pacquiao was actually calling for a future fight with the much-larger former champion. Nobody knows how serious he was, but there was a lot trash talking with Pacquiao [and trainer Freddie Roach] predicting that he was capable of outboxing Margarito with few issues. Now that Margarito is gone, Miguel Cotto remains. Cotto mentioned a potential Pacquiao fight in several recent interviews and said he is more than willing to fight the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
After the demolition that Pacquiao did to De La Hoya at welterweight, a Pacquiao-Cotto fight doesn't appear like the mismatch it would have looked like a year ago.
Bob Arum, who promotes both Cotto and Pacquiao, would be willing to make the fight. Cotto would have to beat Michael Jennings on Saturday [and a possible second opponent in June] and Pacquiao would have to beat Ricky Hatton in May. If Pacquiao gets his win in May, Arum will recommend Cotto as one of the options for his next fight. He makes it clear that it's not up to him if the fight happens, it's up to the fighters, Cotto and Pacquiao.
"Well I want you to understand what I’m about to say just so there’s no confusion that all of these fighters make their own decisions. I make recommendations and would I recommend that [Pacquiao] fight Miguel Cotto? Absolutely. Will he go along with my recommendation? I don’t know. Because I haven’t raised it with him," Arum said.
"But I would think that if Miguel now beats Michael Jennings and wins his fight against whomever it is in June. And Manny Pacquiao beats Ricky Hatton - why wouldn’t I try to make a match between my two best fighters - or two of my best fighters, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao? So yes, the answer is I would attempt to do it. Whether I would be successful in putting it together I mean that’s up to the fighters."
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