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By Jun Medina, Special Correspondent
With his fight against British slugger Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton
almost all but sealed, boxing superstar Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao
is likely to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr., if he gets past Hatton in a
match being worked out for May 2 in Las Vegas.
Mayweather, the former pound-for-pound king and
unbeaten welterweight world champion, has hinted his desire to
return to the ring and fight anyone who could offer him a mega
fight.
“Floyd, 31, has given Team Mayweather the
green light to go out there and evaluate the biggest fights for him,
to come back to him and present it to him. Then he will consider
it,” Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s best friend and adviser, told
ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael on Saturday.
Pacquiao, who succeeded Mayweather as the
world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, has announced his desire to
take on both Hatton and Mayweather in the coming year.
His trainer Freddie Roach earlier said that if
Manny beats both Hatton and Mayweather, the Filipino icon could
retire at the top of the sports—his legacy secure as one of the
best boxers in the world.
Roach confirmed that if the Paquiao-Hatton May 2
super fight is wrapped up, “PacMan” will be back at his famous
Wild Card Gym in Hollywood to resume his training early.
Ellerbe, who also advises Mayweather in the
business of promoting concerts, said that if they “present Floyd
with something he’s interested in, he will do it.”
He added that although Mayweather has kept a
low-profile and stayed away from the boxing limelight since retiring
in June, he did watch Hatton stop Paulie Malignaggi on November 22
and Pacquiao dominate Oscar de la Hoya on December 6.
Ellerbe said Mayweather thought Pacquiao was
“an excellent fighter and it was a tremendous win.”
He, however, added that Floyd had told him,
“He [Pacquiao] is a good fighter, but I’ll beat his ass.”
Floyd “did see Hatton’s fight and said it
was the best Ricky had looked in a long time with his [estranged]
dad [Floyd Mayweather Sr.] training him,” Ellerbe said. “He said
Ricky looked sharp with his father in the corner.”
When asked if Floyd Jr. would need any tune-up
fight in the event he returns to the ring, Ellerbe said, “Hell,
no. If [he] considers something, it would be the biggest thing.”
Ellerbe said that wherever Floyd Jr. goes, he is
inundated with fan requests for him to fight again, especially over
the past month while they have been out on the road co-promoting the
“I Am Music Tour,” which features artists Lil’ Wayne, Keyshia
Cole and T-Pain.
Floyd Jr., who has not fought since knocking out
Hatton in the 10th round in December 2007, has kept a low profile
from boxing, avoiding even going to major title bouts.
Ellerbe said Floyd Jr. has rarely been at fights
other than at the Chad Dawson-Antonio Tarver light heavyweight title
bout in October in Las Vegas, and only because a young fighter the
boxer works with was on the undercard.
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