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Mosley Pacman's best option now!
Mosley Pacman's best option now
By Abac Cordero
MANILA, Philippines - Shane Mosley, saying he’s willing to fight Manny Pacquiao at 140 lb, might force the Filipino pound-for-pound champion to pull the plug on Miguel Cotto.
“If Cotto stays put at 145 pounds then Manny might call it off,” said Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin Gacal, yesterday after stories broke out that Mosley is willing to go to as low as 140 lb to earn the lucrative fight with boxing’s biggest star.
Last week, Gacal told The STAR that Cotto is keeping his fight with Pacquiao, already penciled for Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand, from happening by saying he can’t go down from 145 to 143 lb as the Filpino camp wants him to do.
Then Gacal said they might as well consider Mosley who is willing to concede in the weight issue and get 40 percent of the total purse. Yesterday, Pacquiao’s lawyer sounded excited with the news.
“That’s nice. Then Mosley just became the top candidate,” he said.
“What else can we do if Cotto insists on 145 but look for a different opponent? Mosley said he’s willing to go down to 140 pounds? Maganda ‘yan,” said Gacal, adding that he was in touch with Bob Arum the other night,
Arum, the Top Rank president who both has promotional rights over Pacquiao and Cotto, is on a European vacation, and had to think of ways how to close the deal between Pacquiao and Cotto, the WBO welterweight (147 lb) champ.
A few days ago, Arum was quoted as saying both camps have already agreed to 145 lb, but Gacal said there’s no such deal yet.
“Mr. Arum can’t do anything if Cotto insists on 145 and Manny says he wants another fight. Michael Koncz (Pacquaio’s Canadian adviser) talked to Arum last night and the latest is that Cotto said he can’t go lower than 145,” said Gacal.
“Baka i-call off na ni Manny ang Cotto fight. But it will depend on him. He will make the final decision although he has yet to be informed about this development. It’s up to him now. Will it be Cotto or Mosley?” the lawyer added.
“I’m going down to 140 pounds and I want to fight for Pacquiao’s belt (the IBO light-welterterweight crown he won over Ricky Hatton last May) because that’s a belt I have never won,” Mosley told the American press.
The WBA welterweight champion, who came off a smashing knockout win over Antonio Margarito, also said, “There should be no 143, 141 or 142 and all this other stuff. I’m going to 140 and fight at his weight. I’m ready to make the sacrifice again.”
“I know how to make the weight. I know how to get down there,” he added.
Mosley, who’s under Golden Boy, said Cotto, who barely defeated Josh Clottey weeks ago, may not even make it at 145.
“I don’t think [Miguel] Cotto can even make 145, and now I’m saying I’m willing to fight Pacquiao at his weight. I’ll do that and go back up to welterweight and fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.” he told the LA Times.
Mosley said a few days ago, that if Pacquiao wants him, then get the negotiations going, and not try to use him “as a pawn” for Cotto. “Let me know so I can start training and be ready.”
Incidentally, Cotto played a round of golf with Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya in Puerto Rico last week, and stories of a “conspiracy theory” cropped up, hinting of a secret deal between them.
Cotto’s contract with Arum is set to expire, and the Puerto Rican might consider joining Golden Boy. But he said his round of golf with Dela Hoya was a “chance encounter” and they “never talked about golf.”
To many, it was hard to believe that they never talked about it, raising theories that the Golden Boy must have convinced Cotto to skip Pacquiao by insisting on 145 lb, then make way for Mosley and for him to fight someone else.
And if Mosley beats Pacquiao, then Cotto comes in for the battle between the true welterweight champions.
By Abac Cordero
MANILA, Philippines - Shane Mosley, saying he’s willing to fight Manny Pacquiao at 140 lb, might force the Filipino pound-for-pound champion to pull the plug on Miguel Cotto.
“If Cotto stays put at 145 pounds then Manny might call it off,” said Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin Gacal, yesterday after stories broke out that Mosley is willing to go to as low as 140 lb to earn the lucrative fight with boxing’s biggest star.
Last week, Gacal told The STAR that Cotto is keeping his fight with Pacquiao, already penciled for Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand, from happening by saying he can’t go down from 145 to 143 lb as the Filpino camp wants him to do.
Then Gacal said they might as well consider Mosley who is willing to concede in the weight issue and get 40 percent of the total purse. Yesterday, Pacquiao’s lawyer sounded excited with the news.
“That’s nice. Then Mosley just became the top candidate,” he said.
“What else can we do if Cotto insists on 145 but look for a different opponent? Mosley said he’s willing to go down to 140 pounds? Maganda ‘yan,” said Gacal, adding that he was in touch with Bob Arum the other night,
Arum, the Top Rank president who both has promotional rights over Pacquiao and Cotto, is on a European vacation, and had to think of ways how to close the deal between Pacquiao and Cotto, the WBO welterweight (147 lb) champ.
A few days ago, Arum was quoted as saying both camps have already agreed to 145 lb, but Gacal said there’s no such deal yet.
“Mr. Arum can’t do anything if Cotto insists on 145 and Manny says he wants another fight. Michael Koncz (Pacquaio’s Canadian adviser) talked to Arum last night and the latest is that Cotto said he can’t go lower than 145,” said Gacal.
“Baka i-call off na ni Manny ang Cotto fight. But it will depend on him. He will make the final decision although he has yet to be informed about this development. It’s up to him now. Will it be Cotto or Mosley?” the lawyer added.
“I’m going down to 140 pounds and I want to fight for Pacquiao’s belt (the IBO light-welterterweight crown he won over Ricky Hatton last May) because that’s a belt I have never won,” Mosley told the American press.
The WBA welterweight champion, who came off a smashing knockout win over Antonio Margarito, also said, “There should be no 143, 141 or 142 and all this other stuff. I’m going to 140 and fight at his weight. I’m ready to make the sacrifice again.”
“I know how to make the weight. I know how to get down there,” he added.
Mosley, who’s under Golden Boy, said Cotto, who barely defeated Josh Clottey weeks ago, may not even make it at 145.
“I don’t think [Miguel] Cotto can even make 145, and now I’m saying I’m willing to fight Pacquiao at his weight. I’ll do that and go back up to welterweight and fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.” he told the LA Times.
Mosley said a few days ago, that if Pacquiao wants him, then get the negotiations going, and not try to use him “as a pawn” for Cotto. “Let me know so I can start training and be ready.”
Incidentally, Cotto played a round of golf with Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya in Puerto Rico last week, and stories of a “conspiracy theory” cropped up, hinting of a secret deal between them.
Cotto’s contract with Arum is set to expire, and the Puerto Rican might consider joining Golden Boy. But he said his round of golf with Dela Hoya was a “chance encounter” and they “never talked about golf.”
To many, it was hard to believe that they never talked about it, raising theories that the Golden Boy must have convinced Cotto to skip Pacquiao by insisting on 145 lb, then make way for Mosley and for him to fight someone else.
And if Mosley beats Pacquiao, then Cotto comes in for the battle between the true welterweight champions.
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