Sunday, June 21, 2009

Mosley Not Giving Up On Pacquiao Yet

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s camp may already be in negotiation for a prospective fight with Miguel Cotto but Sugar Shane Mosley is not about to throw in the towel yet.

Still dead serious in getting the Filipino ring icon as opponent, Mosley reiterated that he, not Cotto, presents the BIG fight out there for the reigning pound-for-pound king.

"The only person that's stopping the (Pacquiao-Mosley) fight is Bob Arum (Top Rank boss who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto)," Mosley was quoted in a fighthype.com report.

Mosley, who had even declared his willingness to accept a 40/60 split and slide down from 147 lbs to meet Pacquiao at a catch weight, claimed Arum was only pushing for a Pacquiao-Cotto bout in a bid to keep the Puerto Rican at his stable.

“Bob Arum has his own investments into the fight as far as him wanting to re-sign Cotto and get him a big fight. Then he has Pacquiao. He will give Cotto a little money to keep him happy because he really doesn't deserve any of it. And then he will throw Pacquiao something out there.

“But the bigger fight is me and Pacquiao. We have the biggest names by far and Pacquiao's legacy wouldn't be damaged losing to me. I don't understand…well, I do understand what Bob Arum wants to do, but I wouldn't understand why Pacquiao wouldn't take the fight," he said.

Pacquiao had given Arum the greenlight to initiate talks with WBO welterweight champ Cotto after watching the latter fight and escape with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.

The projected Pacquiao-Cotto duel is being eyed for November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The wheels are already in motion and Arum had expressed confidence both fighters would sign on, although he’s not rushing things.

"What's the rush?" Arum told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Sunday. "There's going to be some haggling, like there always is. But, eventually, we'll get it worked out, and by early July, everything should be set for what will be a great fight."

But Mosley, the reigning WBA welterweight champion, insisted the fight that fans really want involves him and the IBO 140-lb boss.

And he’s willing to put this on a vote among Pacquiao’s Filipino fans.

"I just want to tell Pacquiao to do the right thing for boxing," Mosley said in the fighthype.com report. “I think you guys should put a poll up and let the Philippine fans vote which one they think would be a bigger fight and who they want to see Pacquiao fight next, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto! Let's see who the Philippine fans want Pacquiao to fight next,"

But apparently, it’s not the Filipinos’ vote on his next foe that Pacquiao is interested in right now.

Over the weekend, Pacquiao joined the townsfolk of Malapatan, Saranggani in celebrating their founding anniversary, a move seen as his initial salvo in trying to woo their votes next year. The 30-year-old Pacquiao is bent on running for a congressional seat in Saranggani after a failed bid in South Cotabato three years ago.

Source: gmanews.tv