Bare Eye: Will Pacquiao choose degree of difficulty?
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 29 Dec 2011
IT?S now officially a lottery, this mad race to make it as world welterweight boxing king Manny Pacquiao?s next foe.
There were actually a total of three names in the running --Tim Bradley, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez ?and that was already a crowd.
But now, they can no longer continue referring to the line-up as a short list.
**
When Freddie Roach was asked the other day who he thought should be Pacquiao?s next rightful challenger, he ticked off one unfamiliar name.
?Lamont Peterson,?
?Why Peterson?? asked the stunned interviewer.
?Why not?? Roach snorted.
**
Of course, four is already a crowd in this exacting search for Pacquiao?s most suitable foe.
Bradley, Cottto, Marquez, not necessarily in that order, all have their right credentials.
In Peterson?s case, several experts were quick to suspect Roach?s main motivation for including him on the list was revenge.
It was Peterson who upset world junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan, a Roach favorite whom the multi-awarded trainer had tagged as heir-apparent to the Pacman.
**
It was not a wholly conquering win Peterson had scored over Khan, who himself had obviously been over-hyped.
Objective observers believed the champ could?ve not been dethroned were it not for the questioned point deductions slapped by the referee on Khan, who has since hankered desperately for a rematch.
That said, Peterson readily pales out as the easiest among Pacquiao?s next possible foes.
**
Truth is that a resounding win over the hitherto unheralded Peterson cannot help prop back Pacquiao?s worth and popularity to where it was at its peak prior to the woeful majority decision win over Marquez at the MGM Grand Las Vegas early last month.
Going by the degree of ease, Bradley a powerful but otherwise easy target comes next to Peterson.
Then, the choice in the lottery inevitably shifts to the degree of difficulty.
**
There?s Miguel Cotto proudly presenting himself as the worthiest among possible Pacquiao challengers.
He scored a blood-splattered avenging win over Antonio Margarito, a Pacquiao victim like Cotto himself.
Cotto may have some valid points, claiming resurgence after that low point when he had to be helped on his feet on the way out of the venue following the gory stoppage suffered against Pacquiao.
**
It?s like this. Cotto may have indeed recovered from that momentary devastation, but would he have the heart and knees to stand up to the thunderous fury Pacquiao would unleash in the case of a rematch?
The determining needle therefore points to only one man, the worthiest in the Pacquiao lottery: Juan Manuel Marquez.
It?s only Marquez who can bring back Pacquiao to where he was in the hearts and minds of adoring fans.
The question: Will Pacquiao opt for exacting degree of difficulty when there are other easy floor routines in the line-up?
Bob Arum should also guide Pacquiao in making a choice.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
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