Para kay Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions, mas gusto niyang kumampanya si Manny Pacquiao sa light welterweight division (140 pounds).
“He is much better off fighting at 140. The reason why I’m saying that is he weighed at 142 when he fought Oscar (Dela Hoya) and he could weigh easily at 140,” ani Arum kahapon sa panayam ni Dennis Principe sa kanyang programang “Sports Chat’ sa DZSR Sports Radio mula sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Umiskor si Pacquiao ng isang eight-round stoppage kay Dela Hoya sa kanilang non-title welterweight fight noong Linggo.
Sa welterweight (145/147 pounds) division posibleng makaharap ng 29-anyos na si Pacquiao ang mga katulad nina World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at World Boxing Association (WBA) titlist Antonio Margarito at mga title contenders na sina Kermit Cintron at Paul Williams.
Nasa light welterweight class naman sina International Boxing Organization (IBO) king Ricky Hatton, WBC ruler Timothy Bradley, WBA champion Andreas Kotelnik, International Boxing Federation (IBF) titlist Paulie Malignaggi.
“At 147 he would be facing some really, really, big, big welterweights like Antonio Margarito. And that would be I think a little difficult,” wika ni Arum sa pagsabak ni Pacquiao sa welterweight. “I think that at 140 he’s gonna be facing Ricky Hatton or Mayweather. He matches really well against both of these guys.”
Sa pagitan ng 29-anyos at 5-foot-8 na si Mayweather, Jr., may 39-0-0 win-loss-draw ring record kasama ang 25 KOs, at ng 30-anyos at 5’7 1/2 na si Hatton, nagdadala ng 45-1-0 (32 KOs) card, ang labang Pacquiao-Mayweather, Jr. ang mas hahakot ng atensyon.
“I really believe that Mayweather will return. I believe that there’s a real possibility and some of the television investors are telling me today that they believe that Manny vs Floyd Mayweather would be the biggest boxing event in history,” ani Arum sa pagbabalik sa ring ni Mayweather, nagretiro matapos umiskor ng isang 10th-round TKO kay Hatton noong Disyembre 8 ng 2007 para sa WBC welterweight crown.
Bago talunin si Hatton, tinalo muna ni Mayweather, Jr. si Dela Hoya via split decision noong Mayo 5 ng 2007 para sa WBC light middleweight belt. (Russell Cadayona)