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Everyone following Pacquiao vs. Cotto knows what the number 7 means. Same with 145.
Let's look even further ahead. What would an eighth weight class look like? What would 154 mean?
If Pacquiao wins November 14, he may just have to consider this. Freddie Roach said so. But that 154 would be as high as he goes.
Let's take a look at the four champions at the junior middleweight/ super welterweight division and how Manny Pacquiao stacks up against them and other likely opponents at 154.
First lets assume Pacquiao requests a catch weight but that the opponents title is at stake. Say 151 pounds seems fair if Pacquiao now owns a 147 title.
The WBC champion is Argentinian/ Spanish 5'11 Sergio Martinez. His only loss of course was to Antonio Margarito but it was a long time ago at 147. Martinez is 44- 1- 1 (24 KO's).
Martinez has a fight scheduled December 5 against Paul Williams. The 6'1 southpaw Williams is 37-1 (27 KO's). While not currently holding a title, Williams is considered the best at 154.
The WBA champion is veteran Daniel Santos of Puerto Rico. Santos is 32-3 (23 KO's) and 5'11. Santos faces No. 1 contender Yuri Foreman, 27-0 (8 KO's) on the Pacquiao - Cotto undercard. Foreman is 5'11 and from Belarus. Both are promoted by Bob Arum and would seem to be the easiest fight to make and easiest opponent at the eighth different weight division.
The IBF champion is Cory Spinks of St. Louis, Missouri and he is promoted by Don King so that already has a red flag up as a difficult negotiation process. Spinks is 5'9 and a southpaw. He is 37-5 (11 KO's).
The WBO champion is Sergiy Dzinziruk. He is 6'0 southpaw from the Ukraine, but fighting out of Germany He is 36-0 (22 KO's).
The WBO also offers an Interim titlist in Alfred Angulo, who fought on HBO telecast last night underneath Chad Dawson vs. Glenn Johnson. He is 17-1 (14 KO's) and 5'10.
The bypassed WBO No. 1 contender Kermit Cintron is 32-2-1 (28 KO's). The Puerto Rican has suffered both losses to Antonio Margarito but has a win over Alfred Angulo and a draw with Sergio Martinez.
So if Pacquiao rolls over Cotto as the 3 1/2 to 1 Las Vegas odds seem to indicate he will, and he heads to an eighth weight division title, we can throw out temporarily names such as Hatton, Marquez and Mayweather and replace them with names like Santos, Foreman, Martinez, Williams, Spinks and Dzinziruk for the next six months or so.
Let's look even further ahead. What would an eighth weight class look like? What would 154 mean?
If Pacquiao wins November 14, he may just have to consider this. Freddie Roach said so. But that 154 would be as high as he goes.
Let's take a look at the four champions at the junior middleweight/ super welterweight division and how Manny Pacquiao stacks up against them and other likely opponents at 154.
First lets assume Pacquiao requests a catch weight but that the opponents title is at stake. Say 151 pounds seems fair if Pacquiao now owns a 147 title.
The WBC champion is Argentinian/ Spanish 5'11 Sergio Martinez. His only loss of course was to Antonio Margarito but it was a long time ago at 147. Martinez is 44- 1- 1 (24 KO's).
Martinez has a fight scheduled December 5 against Paul Williams. The 6'1 southpaw Williams is 37-1 (27 KO's). While not currently holding a title, Williams is considered the best at 154.
The WBA champion is veteran Daniel Santos of Puerto Rico. Santos is 32-3 (23 KO's) and 5'11. Santos faces No. 1 contender Yuri Foreman, 27-0 (8 KO's) on the Pacquiao - Cotto undercard. Foreman is 5'11 and from Belarus. Both are promoted by Bob Arum and would seem to be the easiest fight to make and easiest opponent at the eighth different weight division.
The IBF champion is Cory Spinks of St. Louis, Missouri and he is promoted by Don King so that already has a red flag up as a difficult negotiation process. Spinks is 5'9 and a southpaw. He is 37-5 (11 KO's).
The WBO champion is Sergiy Dzinziruk. He is 6'0 southpaw from the Ukraine, but fighting out of Germany He is 36-0 (22 KO's).
The WBO also offers an Interim titlist in Alfred Angulo, who fought on HBO telecast last night underneath Chad Dawson vs. Glenn Johnson. He is 17-1 (14 KO's) and 5'10.
The bypassed WBO No. 1 contender Kermit Cintron is 32-2-1 (28 KO's). The Puerto Rican has suffered both losses to Antonio Margarito but has a win over Alfred Angulo and a draw with Sergio Martinez.
So if Pacquiao rolls over Cotto as the 3 1/2 to 1 Las Vegas odds seem to indicate he will, and he heads to an eighth weight division title, we can throw out temporarily names such as Hatton, Marquez and Mayweather and replace them with names like Santos, Foreman, Martinez, Williams, Spinks and Dzinziruk for the next six months or so.