Speaking from his Wild Card Gym with MaxBoxing.com’s Radio Rahim last week, Roach outlined who may be in with a chance of landing the fight after ruling out his own charge, WBO light-welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov.
With Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather both distancing themselves from Pacquiao, Roach is left with few options, but did state that they were looking at the last four opponents to go the distance with the pound for pound king.
Saul Alvarez being the most recent, there then follows Robert Guerrero, Miguel Cotto and ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, with the last two already suffering a loss to Pacquiao which would not warrant a return match-up.
That leaves Alvarez, who lost out convincingly to Mayweather last September, or Guerrero, who at this point in time would seem to be the stand out candidate for a spring blockbuster with Pacquiao.
Reports have already surfaced that Guerrero has handed notice to Golden Boy of his intention to negate on his contract in order to push through a possible fight with Pacquiao, although nothing has yet been substantiated by his team.
The only other fighter potentially in the frame is old foe Timothy Bradley, who according to Roach ‘wants too much money’ and may have now priced himself out of a second helping with the ‘Pacman’ in three months’ time.
It’s a far cry from a few years ago when there were boxers queuing around the block to be given an opportunity to face Pacquiao, as the Congressman continues to try and tempt Mayweather into a career-defining fight for both men.
Roach made reference to Mayweather being ‘the fight they wanted’ during the interview process in LA, but the ball on that one is firmly with the current two-weight champion and ‘Money’ is so far refusing to open talks for the mega-bout anytime soon.
As of now it seems that Bradley and Guerrero are in a straight two-horse race for the privilege of taking on eight-weight title holder Pacquaio – in what will be the 35 year-old’s 63rd professional contest and yet another PPV outing.
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