MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao would rather go or should rather go for Yuri Foreman and his WBA super-welterweight crown in his next fight.
In fact, even before negotiations for the Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. took off a couple of weeks ago, the Filipino icon had already expressed his willingness to take on the boxer who carries the last name of the legendary heavyweight champion.
“Pumayag na siya labanan si Yuri (He has agreed to fight Yuri). But all these were swept aside when the Mayweather fight came up like it was a sure thing,” Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda said of a possible fight with the undefeated Foreman.
A former New York Golden Gloves champion, Foreman is unbeaten in 29 fights (with one no-contest) and is also under Top Rank. It could be a great match between him and Pacquiao who could win an eighth world title in eight different weight classes.
That’s something the 5-foot-11 Foreman could offer, and the others, like junior welterweight or welterweight champions Paul Malignaggi, Tim Bradley or Shane Mosley can’t. Pacquiao is the reigning WBO welterweight champion, winning the title from Miguel Cotto.
“We want to fight in March and we don’t really want to wait. (If) Mayweather doesn’t want to fight in March, we might fight for the 154 pound title and move up for that eighth world title. I’m thinking about that still and it’s something that I’m kicking around in my head right now. Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It is a possibility,” trainer Freddie Roach said recently.
The fight with Mayweather, which fell off as quick as it took off, appears to be out of the picture now, following a dispute in the drug-testing procedure to be observed by both camps. Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, said it’s Mayweather’s way only out of the fight.
The names of Malignaggi, Bradley, Mosley and Foreman came up as Pacquiao’s possible opponent on March 13 if the reigning pound-for-pound champion, seeking a congressional seat in the May 2010 elections in the Philippines, decides to push through with the date.
According to Chicago-based Pinoy reporter Joseph Lariosa, Malignaggi said in a phone interview that he’d take the blood test “ten times” just for a chance to face Pacquiao and earn something he hasn’t earned before for a single fight. He’s on the same boat with anyone else.
Bradley also wants the fight with Pacquiao whom he described as clean.
“I’m not worried about Manny Pacquiao. He’s not on steroids. Just because he’s destroying guys, you want to say he’s on steroids? Come on. He’s just that good. He’s been tested how many times and he’s never tested positive. Neither has Mayweather,” Bradley said in an article at philboxing.com.
He said he wouldn’t demand any blood test if he gets to fight either Pacquiao or Mayweather.
“This whole thing with Pacman and Mayweather is baloney with the steroid and blood testing thing. The fans want to see this fight. Everyone wants to see the fight. I want to see it. This is the fight that should be made. But this testing stuff is crazy,” he told ESPN.com.