Now that Miguel Cotto is out of the running for Manny Pacquiao, is Lamont Peterson the key to determine who he will face this June? Will the winner of Devon Alexander vs. Marcos Maidana find themselves across the ring from Floyd Mayweather this Fall? Has the fight between Yuriorkis Gamboa and Brandon Rios been officially signed? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week's "From Pillar to Post."
Pacquiao-Bradley Hinges on Lamont Peterson?
About a week ago, FightHype's Ben Thompson stated in a mailbag that Timothy Bradley's co-manager was already given a bout contract to face Manny Pacquiao this June. Furthermore, sources informed me that Bob Arum recently made a not-too-routine visit to WildCard and told Freddie Roach to get ready for a Bradley fight. The outside factor in making Pacquiao-Bradley, however, might lie in the hands of Lamont Peterson, who Top Rank hopes to match up against Juan Manuel Marquez in a final eliminator to face the winner of Pacquiao-Bradley in the fall. Marquez and Peterson's respective teams have shown interest in the fight, which would happen in July at Cowboy Stadium, but things might not be as easy as they would seem.
Peterson and his brother Anthony were both dumped by Top Rank some time ago and have been free-agents ever since. Not to mention, Peterson may have been offered a $1.2 million payday from Golden Boy Promotions to stage a rematch of his controversial first fight with Amir Khan, and it's doubtful that Marquez is going to be very willing to take a steep pay cut from what he received last November against Pacquiao. This would be the first or second time for that matter that Golden Boy has had a fighter jump to Top Rank for an opportunity to make a substantial payday, but the ball is in Peterson's court for the time being.
Should the fight not happen, Marquez would prepare for an interim bout with David Diaz or Brandon Rios, assuming he conquers Yuriorkis Gamboa, and then would meet the winner of Pacquiao-Bradley in November. I think both Pacquiao-Bradley and Peterson-Marquez are fascinating fights and a pair of upsets might be in order. I honestly can't remember the last time we've had two of boxing's staple fighters take a chance against a pair of young, hungry champions.
Alexander, Maidana and Ortiz in the Running For Mayweather This Fall
Now that Andre Berto will not be fighting Victor Ortiz next weekend (which is a total bummer because I was looking forward to the card), Ortiz might have to wait until June for an opponent to match the magnitude of the Berto rematch. Devon Alexander and Marcos Maidana face off against each other on February 25th and the winner will likely be ushered into a match with Ortiz, which really is a good fight no matter who wins, in my opinion. The winner of Alexander/Maidana vs. Ortiz could very easily find themselves as the frontrunner to challenge Floyd Mayweather after he finishes his prison sentence.
It's a win-win for everybody given how Golden Boy is setting this up. The loser of Alexander/Maidana could still find a marketable fight against Paulie Malignaggi or even Berto when he comes back; the winner heads to the Ortiz fight with a head of steam and plenty of press coverage to boot, and finally comes the Mayweather payout. Though Berto/Ortiz II not happening is a drag, it's more encouraging to know that good fights are still going to happen with or without it.
Rios/Gamboa Finalized? Solis, Alvarado on Undercard?
Originally we went from Brandon Rios and Yuriorkis Gamboa taking a pair of interim fights before a potential showdown, but now it looks like they're heading right into it on April 14th. A lot of it may do with the fact that Rios is going to be able to use the extra time to get himself down to the 135 limit, which is becoming more laborious for him, and for Gamboa to bulk up from 126 pounds. Cuban Heavyweight Oleander Solis and Junior Welterweight Mike Alvarado have been approached to make appearances on the fight's undercard.
The fight would take place at or below 135 pounds. Gamboa has never fought above 126 in his career, but he wants this fight so bad that it may have lead to him firing his longtime coach, Ismael Salas, and making the questionable decision to hire Emanuel Steward. Salas didn't seem to share the same opinion as Gamboa, citing that more or less the only way Gamboa would win is if Rios beat himself making weight. As talented as Gamboa is, I have to agree 100%; it's hard to see someone as small as Gamboa fight and then defeat what would be a bigger, nay, huger and stronger fighter in Rios, regardless of the huge contrast in boxing talent.
Danny Howard can be reached for comments or questions at dhoward@fighthype.com, Facebook, or follow him on Twitter (@DBHOWARD126). Also don't miss an episode of FightHype Radio, the baddest two hours of boxing on the planet, starting at 8pm EST.