"Well, at this particular time, I can't overlook a guy like Miguel Cotto. You know, like I said before, this guy has a lot of experience under his belt and I know he's going to come to fight. Hopefully, you know, after this fight, of course we want the Pacquiao fight," stated undefeated pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather, who insists that he's not looking past his May 5th clash with WBA jr. middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, but admits that he's hoping that a fight with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao can be made next. That being said, Mayweather isn't quite so sure that fight will still be a viable option come June 10th, the day after Pacquiao faces undefeated jr. welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. In fact, Mayweather is of the opinion that Bradley's boxing skills might pose some very serious problems for the 8-division world champion.
"We wanted the Pacquiao fight for May 5th, but it didn't happen, so there's nothing I can do. You know, like I said before, I'm always looking to give the fans what they want to see, so, I'm pretty sure Pacquiao has a tough task on his hands with the young fighter, I don't really know his name [Timothy Bradley], but I know the fighter can box a little bit," Mayweather explained as he spoke to the media in attendance at his open workout today. "I had a chance to see the fighter fight, and the fighter that he's facing can box a little bit, so I don't think it's going to be an easy task for him. As long as I keep dedicating myself and working hard, I'm gonna continue to be blessed and go out there and give the fans excitement."
While Mayweather didn't necessarily say that Pacquiao would lose the fight, it's clear that he thinks Bradley's technical skills may pose the same type of problems that he experienced in his last fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, a bout that he won, albeit via controversial majority decision. Should Pacquiao struggle with Bradley, one has to wonder just how much interest fans will still have in a potential showdown between the two biggest names in the sport.
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]