If you thought it was wacky for Top Rank Promotions President Bob Arum to suggest pound-for-pound king and Filipino idol Manny Pacquiao might fight Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. at junior middleweight, wait until you get a load of what he told BoxingScene: After taking junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton’s belt, the plan is to move up to MIDDLEWEIGHT and fight the undisputed champion there, Kelly Pavlik.
A few things about this. First, I do get where Arum’s coming from. Arum had hoped to match Pacquiao with welterweight Miguel Cotto, because, as he said, they were his two best fighters. But Cotto’s flirting with a departure from Top Rank over Arum’s maniacal defense of disgraced Cotto conqueror Antonio Margarito, and that leaves Pavlik as his third best fighter, moving up into the top two. And reaction to the idea of Pacquiao fighting Chavez, Jr. has not been, “Chavez is too big for Pacquiao,” but “Pacquiao is too good for Chavez.” So why not go one size up, and give Manny a chance at a fifth lineal title?
I do, however, have a few questions:
–The discussion has already ignited at the Pacland website, and I’m not sure where I weigh in on the answer: Will Pacquiao knock Pavlik out in 1 second, or just by the end of the 1st round?
–Would the fight be in Ohio, where Pavlik is a major ticket seller, or in the Philippines, where Pacquiao is an idol? Sites under consideration include the Chocolate Hills and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
–Would Pavlik enter the ring to the dulcet tones of Slipknot, or those of Sevendust?
–Which disease will this fight cure merely by happening?
–How many people will comment on this blog entry without realizing it’s a total April Fool’s joke?
