Mayweather to bare next fight this week; Cotto favored

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. is set to announce this week the opponent for his planned May 2 fight.

And there’s a strong possibility it, again, will not be Manny Pacquiao.

A report by Steve Bunce of the UK-based The Independent claims Mayweather is leaning toward a rematch with Miguel Cotto instead of a megabuck duel with Pacquaio. The undefeated American outpointed Cotto in 2012, but the Puerto Rican has rebounded by winning the WBC middleweight title, making him an appealing choice for Mayweather.

Interestingly, Pacquiao knocked Cotto out in 2009. In the eyes of boxing fans all over the world, it is Pacquiao who should be fighting Mayweather in what could go down as the richest bout in boxing history.

But as it turns out, that super fight remains elusive.

Talks between the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps have been going on the past few weeks, but have yielded nothing so far. The Filipino icon claimed he has agreed to the terms to fight Mayweather, but the same cannot be said of the latter.

Pacquiao has given Mayweather also until this week to decide.

If a Mayweather clash is a no-go, the fighting congressman could well end up taking on Amir Khan, the British superstar who was once his sparring partner.

Pacquiao and Khan met in London last Friday, gamely posing for pictures with their arms over each other. They could be posing face-to-face soon, as opponents.

Instead of a long-overdue Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown, boxing fans may be stuck with Mayweather-Cotto and Pacquiao-Khan.