Is Pacquiao making the right move?

This content is protected

Dollars and Sense: Is Pacquiao making the right move?

By Kelsey McCarson, theboxingstop.com - Say what you want about Manny Pacquiao, but you have to give him his due for being the ballsiest fighter on the planet. When his November 14th bout against Miguel Cotto was announced by Bob Arum this week, I’ll admit it: I almost couldn’t believe it.

Almost. But Manny Pacquiao defies logic and reason. After all, he’s the man that, though beginning his career at a paltry 106 pounds, has moved all the way up to welterweight to become the number one pound for pound boxer in the world.. He’s the guy that has consistently sought out, fought and beaten the best fighters of his era (Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, etc.). He’s the phenomenal athlete that makes the best and biggest fights he can make as fast as he can make them.

But, with a potential fight with Mayweather looming in the near future, does the Cotto fight make sense?

Money isn’t everything

Despite what Floyd Mayweather, Jr. would have you believe, money isn’t everything in boxing. Sure, it’s probably the most important thing, but it isn’t the only reason fighters fight.

Besides, Manny Pacquiao is already rich. He’s already famous. He’s arguably the biggest star in the Philippines and one of the most popular fighters in the sport. He commands respect everywhere he goes and has a legion of followers ready to spend their hard earned cash to see him fight. He sings, makes movies and even has political aspirations.

And, no, as talented of a fighter as he is, the boxing world decidedly does not revolve around Floyd “Money” Mayweather. He just thinks it does.

Or is it?

Make no mistake, Manny Pacquiao will make a ton of money fighting Miguel Cotto. Both fighters have large followings, and the PPV is expected to generate a truck load of cash for both men. Each fighter fights in a fan friendly manner, and the media hype machine already beginning to rev up which will be good for the final numbers when it’s all said and done.

But more importantly, as big a fight as Pacquiao-Mayweather would be now, one could only imagine that it’d be even bigger if both fighters would just do their part in their next fights. Think about it: Mayweather and Pacquiao could be duking it out in 2010 for right to call themselves not only the fighter of the decade, but the greatest fighter in a long, long time - possibly ever. The potential superfight would become a super-duper fight, and the PPV revenue could break all sorts of box office records. It’d be one of the biggest fights of all time.

Good fights are good fights

In the end, it all boils down to one thing, at least for me. Good fights are good fights. No matter what you may think about this fighter fighting that fighter before the other fighter, or money versus risk versus reward, the simple fact is that the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto bout will be a good fight. Both fighters will be attempting to build upon their already solid legacies, and, perhaps most importantly, both men will come to fight.

Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto will make a lot of dollars, but the more you look at it, it also makes a whole lot of sense.


(Kelsey McCarson writes and publishes www.theboxingstop.com) ​

 

nah...:yep