WBC has ranked Manny PAC MAN Pacquiao as the number 1 contender

TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum doesn’t know whether the latest ratings of the World Boxing Council, elevating Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao to No.1 contender status in the welterweight division, “means anything,” in terms of a possible fight against champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. “I don’t know whether that means anything. I have no idea whether we can move forward with Mayweather,” Arum told the Manila Standard, pointing out that Mayweather is also the World Boxing Association super welterweight champion. Arum suggested: “Let’s see what he (Mayweather) does as far as vacating titles or whatever. So unless we know what he’s going to do, there is no sense getting excited.” Following his outstanding performance against Brandon Rios in Macau last Oct. 24, when he won the World Boxing Organization International welterweight title, Pacquiao has also been elevated to No.1 in its latest rankings ahead of champion Timothy Bradley, who won a bitterly criticized split decision over Pacquiao last June. As for Pacquiao’s planned April 12 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Arum said it’s still the same three opponents they’ve been talking about —a rematch with Bradley, a fifth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez or a showdown with Pacquiao’s former sparring partner Ruslan Provodnikov. “There’s nothing close to getting done. We have talked to all the opponents and spoke to Manny and he decides who he wants to go with,” said Arum. Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told Manila Standard: “Nothing has been decided yet. We will do that after Christmas.” In the meantime, Pacquiao is spending time with wife Jinkee and their four kids as well as as attending to the needs of his constituents in Sarangani province, which he represents in Congress. Meanwhile, Pedro Fernandez, former amateur Golden Gloves champion and long-running radio talk show Ring Talk host, who is known for his hard-hitting commentary, paid tribute to Pacquiao as having a far greater impact on the world stage than pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. In his Ring Talk column, Fernandez said that while Mayweather “may have a zillion times the amount of money Manny Pacquiao possesses, it hasn’t bought or garnered Mayweather the international respect that has been bestowed on Pacquiao as both a boxer and a man.” While stating that “people don’t know that Floyd does a lot of charitable work that he doesn’t seek credit for. But being an elected Philippine Congressman, that’s hard to top for anybody, let alone the Grand Rapids, MI native Mayweather.” Fernandez believes that win, lose or draw, a good number of Pacquiao’s fights were “ more entertaining and in two cases more damaging than Mayweather’s wins over notably Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. ” In his glowing commentary, Fernandez claimed that “with American fans, people from south of the border, Asia as a whole, European followers of the sweet science, there isn’t a demographic Manny Pacquiao has not conquered. Mayweather cannot say the same. ” Noting that Pacquiao has gone from Catholic to being Born Again via Christianity, the one time cock fighter has abandoned that behavior, San Miguel Beer, as well any thirst for flesh outside of the Pacquiao household. “Word has it he prays as much or more than three hours daily. The anti-condom platform from which he stands is dangerous period,” said Fernandez. He contends: “There simply hasn’t been a fighter since Muhammad Ali that have made the social impact, meaning outside of the ring than Manny Pacquiao. Granted he might not be Rachel Maddow, a Rhode Scholar, but my hope is that Pacquiao just employs good common sense in representing his people. ” Source: manilastandardtoday By: Ronnie Nathanielsz