Manny Pacquiao's performance against the legendary Oscar De La Hoya has catapulted him to new heights in a way that few could have ever predicted.
With such a dominating performance on the sports largest stage, many openly wonder what the future holds for the Filipino.
After the fight, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum clearly stated that his interest for Pacquaio was a fight against Ricky Hatton in the near future, but listening to the buzz around the fight world, it appears that there's another guy who's attention isn't too hard to get when the money hits the table.
That other person is none other than the recently retired Floyd Mayweather Jr., who's not only the last man to defeat Oscar prior to the Pacquiao fight, but also the last true pound-for-pound great in the sport.
When you analyze the potential matchup, it's a no-brainer for both men involved and due to the demand, the contractual portion could easily write itself.
Both men would be content facing an opponent of similar size, there's global appeal, there's tons of money to be made, and there's no major point of contention for either man that would stall talks at the negotiating table like the ego driven issues of unfair purse amounts that surfaced with Oscar and the two fighters.
For 'Money' Mayweather, there's nothing about this fight not to like.
Adding to Mayweather's appeal in such a fight is the fact that he's the only fighter to have defeated Hatton.
No question, a showdown between Hatton and Pacquaio would be a huge spectacle, but after seeing such a one-sided matchup between Oscar and Pacquiao (the last two men to defeat De La Hoya), there's no doubt that the mere thought of seeing Pacquiao face Mayweather would give fans a chance to see a true 'Dream Match' in every sense of the words.
The only X-factor here is that Oscar De La Hoya promotes Ricky Hatton and considering his relationship (albeit a strained one) with Freddie Roach, Bob Arum, and Manny Pacquiao, I think if there's anyone who can spoil the chance for Floyd to face Pacquaio it would be Oscar.
No one knows what hand Arum will play just yet because he could pull the trump card and pursue a 'Money' Mayweather showdown if the interest is shown, but for now, all options remain open.
As of today, Hatton's on deck, but if the money is right, Mayweather could very well be next.
Stay tuned....
