"There is a possibility of fighting Mayweather in May and I'll discuss what is best for us to do," stated 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao during a recent interview with Ronnie Nathanielsz of the Manila Standard. Pacquiao has at least shown some interest in exploring the idea of fighting in May, unlike his promoter, Bob Arum, who was quick to dismiss the notion when he declared Pacquiao's next bout would take place in June upon hearing the news of Mayweather's incarceration date being postponed. The question is, is Pacquiao willing to fight on May 5?
If you ask Arum, there's absolutely no way that Pacquiao will be available to fight on May 5. Evidently, Jeffrey Roth, the Las Vegas plastic surgeon who stitched up the cut that Pacquiao sustained in his November 12 majority decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, has informed Arum that Pacquiao will not be able to spar until April 1. while it's true that the cut did require 28 stitches, keep in mind that Dr. Roth has not had an opportunity to re-examine it since Pacquao has been in the Philippines ever since November 21. Nevertheless, Arum seems content with the doctor's opinion that Pacquiao should not conduct any sparring until April.
If you ask Pacquiao, however, you may or may not get a different answer. In the same interview with Nathanielsz, Pacquiao said that the cut was "fine and there's no problem". Obviously, that's the kind of answer you would expect from a battle-tested warrior like Pacquiao. After all, just four months after sustaining an ear injury in his 12th round TKO victory against Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao was back in the ring dominating Joshua Clottey. Furthermore, when Pacquiao suffered a similar cut over his eye in his unanimous decision loss to Erik Morales, again, he was back in the ring destroying Hector Velazquez. There's no denying, Manny Pacquiao is a fighter through and through, so the notion of a cut preventing him from even sparring for 5 months just seems odd.
So again, I ask, does Pacquiao share the same sentiment as his promoter regarding his availability on May 5? Judging from his comments about the cut, it sounds like he doesn't, but until he addresses the notion of the May 5 date, we may never know.
ALSO SEE: FLOYD MAYWEATHER: "MANNY PACQUIAO I'M CALLING YOU OUT...STEP UP PUNK"
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]