Thus far, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has not really been known to be picky when it comes to potential opponents for Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao.
However, seeing that the planned 2016 fight could very well be Pacquiao's last, Arum wants to make sure that it will be memorable and even. Unfortunately, he doesn't see it that way as far as Canelo Alvarez is concerned.
Surprisingly, Alvarez' name was drawn into the mix of possible opponents Pacquiao could face by early 2016. The Mexican wasn't mentioned in the initial list, which included Lucas Matthysse, Amir Khan, Terence Crawford, and Timothy Bradley Jr. Hence, the sudden mention of his name does come as a surprise.
But as it turns out, Arum and Golden Boy Promotions Oscar Dela Hoya are indeed in talks about a possible match, but the Top Rank promoter is not keen on such.
He points out several factors such as age, size, and speed. Alvarez is a rising pug who possesses a lot of advantages that could be catastrophic to someone like Pacquiao.
Arum says he's had discussions with @OscarDeLaHoya about a Pacquiao-@Canelo fight but Arum doesn't like the idea.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) October 21, 2015 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Pacquiao, 36, has been used to facing fighters of the same assets before; but apparently, he is no longer the same fighter that he was years ago.
With that said, Alvarez' name will likely be taken out of the mix which leaves the original list as is for now.
Two names on that list will be fighting this November — Terence Crawford and Timothy Bradley Jr. For a time, Matthysse was believed to have been struck out of the list, but surprisingly, he is still in contention.
As far as Alvarez is concerned, a possible fight with Pacquiao is the least of his worries. He has to try and beat Miguel Cotto first and then possibly face Gennady Golovkin next as mandated by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
