Mayweather-Pacquiao Would Boost Boxing

They'll be calling it “The Fight to Save Boxing,” just as they did two years ago when Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. squared off in Las Vegas.

I'll laugh, just as I did then.

Boxing doesn't need saving. It may not be particularly healthy, but it isn't going anywhere.

Nothing has been able to kill boxing over the years. Not death, not scandal. Not even a heavyweight division that just might be at its all-time worst.

But boxing is always in need of help. And nothing helps it like a megabout that for one night, at least, draws attention to the sport from mainstream America.

Like De La Hoya-Mayweather.

Like Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao.

Some things have to happen for the latter to occur. Mayweather, who just announced — to no one's surprise — that he's returning to the ring, must beat Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18. No small task.

Marquez is one of the toughest hombres in the sport, with a granite chin and punches that rarely miss their mark.

But if Mayweather wins, as he should, it paves the way for the fight people are already talking about.

Between the two best fighters, pound-for-pound, in boxing today.

You have to wonder just how big the fight would be.

Would it eclipse De La Hoya-Mayweather? That fight turned out to be the highest-grossing boxing match in history, with 2.4 million pay-per-view buys and a live gate of $19 million.

But it also was a fight that we now know featured one fighter — De La Hoya — who was well past his prime.

Mayweather-Pacquiao is a legitimate megafight featuring two fighters in their prime, not just a marketing creation — a fight that could rekindle memories of a Leonard-Duran or a Leonard-Hearns.

That's saying something.

The fight wouldn't restore boxing to its glory days. Only a vibrant heavyweight division could possibly accomplish that.

But for a sport hurting in a time of economic distress, with its reigning box-office star, De La Hoya, now in retirement, it couldn't come at a better time.

So start saving that allowance. We're looking at a showdown by early 2010.

No one, of course, is hotter right now than Pacquiao, who has supplanted Mayweather as boxing's pound-for-pound best. His latest victory only confirmed this.

In the biggest fight of the year to date, Pacquiao blew out Ricky Hatton in two rounds on May 2, becoming the first fighter in history to win four lineal titles.

It was his fourth consecutive victory in a different division. Pacquiao seems unbeatable right now, the best fighter in the sport.

Mayweather, on the other hand, has been idle since beating Hatton in December 2007. He's remained in the public eye somewhat, participating on “Dancing With the Stars” and competing at Wrestlemania 24 last year.

The question will be, can he regenerate the momentum he built before he retired?

His fight against Marquez will provide some answers. A good performance will re-ignite his fan base heading into a showdown with Pacquiao.

Unlike Pacquiao, Mayweather needs the fight to cement his boxing legacy, which will remain unfulfilled without opponents like Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto or Pacquiao on his résumé.

Even so, until he retired following the Hatton fight, Mayweather had become a boxing celebrity, a dominant fighter without peer.

Sort of like what Pacquiao is right now.

The fight to save boxing? Hardly. But it could give the sport a tremendous boost.

jwhisler@express-news.net


JOHN WHISLER'S VIEW FROM THE CORNER
Top 10 pound-for-pound boxers

1. Manny Pacquiao
Record: 49-3-2, 37 KOs
Title/division: Ring jr. welterweight
Comment: Consensus No. 1 now following destruction of Ricky Hatton.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez
Record: 50-4-1, 37 KOs
Titles/division: WBA, WBO, Ring lightweight
Comment: Win over Floyd Mayweather Jr. would set up rematch with Pacquiao.

3. Bernard Hopkins
Record: 49-5-1, 32 KOs
Division: Light
heavyweight
Comment: Showdown with Chad Dawson would be compelling.

4. Paul Williams
Record: 37-1, 27 KOs
Title/division: Interim WBO, jr. middleweight
Comment: Back in top 10 after beating Winky Wright.

5. Shane Mosley
Record: 46-5, 39 KOs
Title/division: WBA
welterweight
Comment: Wants to fight Pacquiao or Mayweather next.

6. Miguel Cotto
Record: 33-1, 27 KOs
Title/division: WBO
welterweight
Comment: Should command big fight if he can beat Joshua Clottey on June 13.

7. Vic Darchinyan
Record: 32-1-1, 26 KOs
Titles/division: WBA, WBC, IBF super flyweight
Comment: Powerful southpaw hoping to hold titles in three weight classes.

8. Nonito Donaire
Record: 21-1, 14 KOs
Title/division: IBF
flyweight
Comment: Destruction of San Antonio's Raul Martinez cemented status.

9. Juan Manuel Lopez
Record: 25-0, 23 KOs
Title/division: WBC
super lightweight
Comment: Power puncher is one of sport's exciting young stars.

10. Chad Dawson
Record: 27-0, 17 KOs
Title/division: IBF light heavyweight
Comment: Still undefeated but delivered lackluster performance against Antonio Tarver.

Straight shots
UFC 98: The main event at UFC 98 on Saturday in Las Vegas has light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans (18-0-1) vs. challenger Lyoto Machida (14-0). It's an incredibly good fight, pitting two of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in MMA. But fans are just as excited about the co-main event, where light heavyweights Matt Serra and Matt Hughes continue their feud.

Mayweather-Marquez tour: Mayweather Jr. and Marquez will hit the road for a six-day, three-city tour to promote their July 18 welterweight showdown on pay-per-view. The tour kicks off Sunday in Los Angeles, followed by stops in New York City on Tuesday and London on Thursday.

College graduate: Former lightweight champ Juan Diaz of Houston graduates from the University of Houston-Downtown today with a bachelor's degree in political science. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for Minute Maid Park.

“This feels like I'm becoming a world champion for the first time. It's that big of an accomplishment to me,” Diaz said.

Pacquiao future: Top Rank boss Bob Arum told ESPN.com that Pacquiao, fresh off a two-round thrashing of Hatton, likely will fight again in October. Possible opponents include Cotto, if he beats Clottey on June 13, or Mosley.

Arum said Pacquiao still could fight the winner of Mayweather-Marquez, but that fight wouldn't happen until early 2010.

Source: John Whisler, mysanantonio.com