Former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao could find himself back in the hunt for another world title after World Boxing Council top honcho Jose Sulaiman expressed his desire to see the Pacman fight the winner of the September 14 showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sulaiman, who confessed his huge admiration for Pacquiao as a great boxer, said in an interview with Manila Standard boxing writer Ronnie Nathanielsz that he's still confident Pacquiao will recapture his old form when he returns to the ring against Californian hard-hitter and former lightweight champion Brandon 'Bam Bam' Rios on November 24 in Macau, China.
Pacquiao is coming off the worst loss of his career after absorbing a sixth-round TKO beating to his fiercest rival Juan Manuel Marquez last December. But despite the brutal loss, Sulaiman said it never changed his perception on the Filipino boxing superstar.
"I sincerely hope that the winner will meet Manny Pacquiao. Manny is my idol, whatever happens I will always feel very, very proud of him as he was a WBC champion and I still believe that he is," said Sulaiman, who's expected to sit at ringside in the Mayweather-Alvarez rumble.
The WBC president believes Mayweather and Alvarez are primed to become the most lucrative fight in boxing history after already shattering gate receipts and pay-per-view numbers.
"This fight will break all TV records in Mexico, where every television set will be on to see the fight. Also in the US, it will be one of the great occasions as it will be one of the best fights that could be promoted at this time," Sulaiman said.
Sulaiman thinks a victory by Mayweather will solidify his place among the greatest boxers of all time while an upset win by Canelo will earn him the respect of millions of Mexican fans along with his new status as the new pound-for-pound king.
"A win by Alvarez will be big and very much appreciated in Mexico, while a win by Mayweather "will confirm his status as one of the greatest boxers that ever lived," said Sulaiman on the Manila Standard.
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