By Mick Akers
Even before Manny Pacquiao steps in the ring with Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time in their December 8 showdown, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is already planning ahead for Pacquiao and his 2013 boxing future.
Arum explained that setting up a bout on or around April 20th, 2013 has already been discussed with Pacquiao and no, Floyd Mayweather’s name was not mentioned as a possible opponent.
Instead Arum mentioned that seeing the winner of this weekends Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado junior welterweight bout being an “unbelievable” possibility.
Rios and Alvarado will face off in the co-main event on the Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka fight card at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif this weekend, and it has all the makings to be a possible fight of the year candidate.
Sure, fight fans will once again be disappointed that Pacquiao and Mayweather are not meeting inside the ring, but let’s face it, the super fight of all super fights is not likely to ever take place.
Pacquiao fighting either Rios or Alvarado would all but guarantee an exciting fight, as both undefeated brawlers would give everything they got against Pacquiao, in what would be the biggest fight of both of their careers.
There would be some real knockout potential with Rios or Alvarado facing Pacquiao, as the two fighters have a total of 46 KO’s in their 64 combined fights–Rios has 21 KOs in 31 fights and Alvarado has 23 KOs in his 33 fights.
The 26-year-old Rios is entering the prime of his career and the 32-year-old Alvarado is in the midst of his prime and Pacquiao hasn’t faced anyone this dangerous in years.
Pacquiao has seemingly lost his killer instinct in the ring over the past couple of years and the pound-for-pound great must bring back his will to try and end fights early against Marquez in December.
If we don’t see that killer instinct return, Pacquiao could be in a world of trouble in April. Rios and Alvarado leave everything in the ring and Pacquiao’s pride could be the next victim come spring.
