'Kahit sino...basta magkasundo lang,' says WBO welterweight champ

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – The camp of Manny Pacquiao has its sights on 2 opponents for the Filipino boxing superstar after Floyd Mayweather Jr. snubbed a Saturday deadline (Friday in the US) to sign a deal for a proposed mega-fight on November 13.

Pacquiao's handler, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, said that they will start working on a possible match with either former world welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico or World Boxing Association (WBA) junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

Pacquiao, the lone representative of Sarangani province, said he is ready to face any of the two boxers as long as a deal is concluded.

"Kahit sino, kahit kanino sa kanilang dalawa basta magkasundo lang (I’ll fight anyone, either of the two as long as the negotiations go well),” said Pacquiao, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

It will be a tall order for Pacquiao to face Margarito, who stands 5-foot-11. With a 6-inch-reach advantage over the Filipino champion, the Mexican fighter will surely give Pacquiao a tough challenge.

A Margarito match would also force Pacquiao to fight outside the US. The Mexican has been barred from fighting on American soil after getting embroiled in an illegal hand-wrap incident before his fight with Shane Mosley in January 2009.

Arum said he has asked Nevada officials for a conditional license to allow the suspended Margarito to fight in Las Vegas. If rejected, Pacquiao would travel to the Mexican's homeland with the fight to be staged in Monterrey.

A Cotto rematch for Pacquiao may not be of interest to boxing fans since the Filipino superstar pummeled the Puerto Rican to a 12th-round technical knockout in November 2009 to win his 7th world title in 7 weight classes.

However, with esteemed boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward now on his side, Cotto may put up a better fight against Pacquiao in case there's a rematch. The Filipino boxing icon can also seek an unprecedented 8th weight division world crown against the Puerto Rican champion.

The Mayweather debacle

Mayweather failed to respond to the deadline set by the Pacquiao camp for a November 13 mega-fight even if fight fans around the world clamor for a head-to-head battle between the two pound-for-pound warriors.

Arum, who earlier claimed that all the details of the fight--including the drug-testing method and split of revenues--have already been ironed out between Pacquiao and Mayweather, said the camp of the American boxer failed to give them any hint that they wanted a fight with the Filipino superstar in late 2010.

"I wanted to do this fight badly, and so did Manny. At a point in time, we have to move on,” the veteran boxing promoter said in a report by 8Count news.com.

Arum said he is now set to begin negotiations with the camps of Margarito and Cotto.

“The negotiations will be starting in the next couple of days so now I have to start talking with them," said the Top Rank executive.

Mayweather option not totally closed

Arum, however, said that Mayweather has another 10 days or so to make contact while he talks with other fighters.

“While these negotiations are going on while I'm talking to Manny, if Floyd came to the table, that's the fight that we want more than all others, no question about it," Arum was quoted by Boxingtalk.com as saying.

When Pacquiao was asked on his thoughts on Mayweather’s refusal to face him, he said: “[Ang] mga tao na lang ang humusga (Let the people judge for themselves).”

Roger factor

Top Rank's Bob Arum

Arum thinks Mayweather has his reasons for not taking the fight.

Mayweather's uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, is facing criminal charges and Arum speculated that issue might have been a factor in the fighter not replying by the deadline Arum imposed.

"Floyd, for whatever reason, didn’t want to commit," Arum said. "I'm sure there is a very good reason.

"Boxing fans are going to be disappointed but they have to cut Floyd Mayweather some slack. Floyd Mayweather is not saying he will not ever fight Manny Pacquiao. There is always next year."

Pacquiao, however, has issues as well, including his new career as a congressman in the Philippines.

"He has legislative duties and commitments in the Philippines and I have really short windows to do various aspects of the promotion," Arum said.

"He will be training for the fight while being a congressman and he will have to fit his training into the legislative sessions." -- With reports from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News and Agence France-Presse