Pacquiao's Ex-Coach Anticipates Mayweather-Cotto II

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

RICK Stahaley, Manny Pacquiao’s trainer when he won his first world title, believes Floyd Mayweather Jr. is likely to fight Miguel Cotto in a rematch on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will leave the Filipino southpaw out in the cold.

Stahaley told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard/Viva Sports that when a possible May 2 showdown between Saul Alvarez and Cotto was announced, Mayweather immediately reacted, saying that he has fought on that date for the past three years.

The American trainer added that Mayweather had to do something to preserve the date, that’s why he called out Pacquiao, but had no intention of fighting him.

Stahaley referred to the reports from the US announcing that the Cotto-Alvarez talks have broken down and that Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya told Cotto’s attorney and adviser Gaby Penagaricano that if they couldn’t reach an agreement, he needed to move on.

De La Hoya confirmed he is looking for another opponent for Alvarez, while Cotto’s camp has mentioned the possibility of a rematch with Mayweather.

Stahaley had some harsh words for Mayweather.

“Every time he mentioned Manny, that’s a lie,” said Stahaley. “I don’t think the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will happen in May or even later.”

He reasoned out that Mayweather wants to protect his unbeaten record of 47-0 and he is not interested in fighting Pacquiao because he is not sure he can win and protect his unbeaten record.

“I feel sorry for Manny. Floyd is ranked No.1 and Manny No. 2.  Everybody wants this fight and if Mayweather never fights Pacquiao, his legacy will be tarnished forever,” said Stahaley.

The trainer, who steered Pacquiao to a spectacular eighth-round knockout victory over Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul in a World Boxing Council flyweight title fight on Dec. 3, 1998, said the best option for Pacquiao would be a showdown with Britain’s WBC welterweight silver champion Amir Khan, who is coming off two impressive wins over Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander.

Stahaley said they would draw a huge crowd if the fight takes place in England.

“It would be a good, attractive fight,” he said.

Meanwhile, International Boxing Federation executive Ray Wheatley reported that Mayweather will visit Australia in January and that Anthony Mundine, who is ranked No. 4 by the WBC and World Boxing Association and No. 10 by the IBF, is hoping to meet Mayweather, who is confirmed to attend special events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from Jan. 27, according to the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

“I will definitely try to meet him and talk to him. I would like to talk to him man to man. I know he’s not going to say, ‘OK I will fight you.’ But I would like to have the discussion of ‘Who do I need to beat to get a fight with you?’ He can tell me which path could lead to an eventual fight, so I can take the steps necessary,” Mundine said.

Mundine, who lost to Ghana’s Joshua Clottey in 2014, became the first boxer in 2013 to stop future Hall of Famer Shane Mosley, who had gone the distance with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Daniel Geale scored a one-sided 12-round decision over Mundine in an IBF middleweight title bout in 2013.