This Friday, January 13, WBA jr. middleweight champion Miguel Cotto will be making a live in-studio appearance on "Golpe a Golpe", a weekly boxnig news and analysis show on ESPN Deportes. Speaking with co-hosts Jorge Eduardo Sanchez and multi-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez, Cotto is scheduled to discuss a potential rematch with Manny Pacquiao as well as what weight he'd be willing to face him at. Coincidentally, according to world-class trainer Freddie Roach, Pacquiao is set to make his final decision on a potential May 5 clash with Mayweather in the next 48 hours.
Speaking to TMZ.com, Roach stated that Pacquiao will decide either today or tomorrow if he plans on fighting Floyd Mayweather on May 5. Of course, judging from Pacquiao's recent comments about fighting Mayweather at the end of May, it sounds like that decision has already been made, so perhaps Roach is out of the loop as far as that news is concerned. Meanwhile, promoter Bob Arum has yet to present his list of four names - Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley, Lamont Peterson - to Pacquiao. According to Arum and Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, there's no rush and a final decision won't be made until at least Saturday, when Arum leaves.
According to several reports, however, both Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto are Pacquiao's top choices since they "move the needle", as Arum would say, when it comes to maximizing the profits. Like Arum has pointed out in the past, bottom line, it's all about the Benjamins. Judging from Pacquiao's reluctance to face Mayweather on May 5 due to his desire to "maximize profits" at a bigger venue, one can only assume that he'll look to do the same when selecting his next opponent. In my opinion, it will end up being the choice that Bob Arum has always wanted since November 13, 2011 - Juan Manuel Marquez - but you never know. Nevertheless, it should be interesting to see the interaction between Cotto and Marquez.
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