Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0) has just inked a new deal with Showtime and CBS, and naturally such a new deal will bring fans' desired bouts to the forefront as we get a good idea of just how many fights Money May has in his future.
Here are the details of the deal, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced Tuesday he will return to the ring for the first time in a year to fight Robert Guerrero on May 4, probably at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as part of a new deal with Showtime and CBS for up to six fights in 30 months.
We have an exact number (six) of fights that Mayweather will be involved in over the next 30 months, so let the speculation begin as to whom those opponents could be.
We already know that the first fight Mayweather will partake in will be against Robert Guerrero on May 4, which is the same card Saul Alvarez will fight on against Austin Trout.
But what are some other fights we'd like to see Money May in?
Let's take a look.
Saul Alvarez (41-0-1)
The natural assumption here is that since both Alvarez and Mayweather are fighting on the same May 4 card in separate bouts, this occurrence could lead to a future bout between the two later this year.
Many detractors of Alvarez have argued that the Mexican-born fighter has been protected during his career and hasn't fought any real opponents worthy of a fight with Mayweather.
But that could change if Alvarez defeats Trout.
Trout is about the most legit opponent Alvarez has ever faced. The 27-year-old is undefeated (26-0) and just disposed of former champion Miguel Cotto last December.
The protected label that has been placed on Alvarez should now be removed. The only thing left for Alvarez to do in order to prove his viability as a top challenger to Mayweather is to beat Trout.
If he can do that, Alvarez should be on a fast track to fighting Mayweather in latter parts of 2013.
It would no doubt be a huge event for boxing. Not only does Money May bring a ton of fans with him to every fight, but Alvarez also has a huge following that spans the globe.
That guarantees huge numbers for Showtime's pay-per-view interests, and it would be only fitting to pit two of the best fighters on the planet against one another.
Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2)
Two-consecutive losses may have soured a potential bout between Pacquiao and Mayweather, but that won't put to bed the clamoring from fans wanting to see this fight.
Pacquiao first dropped a bout against Timothy Bradley last June, but there is little credibility of Bradley's win. It was clear as day to everyone that watched that Pacquiao did more than enough to win that fight and the judge's ultimate decision was wrong.
In his next fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao got dropped to the canvas viciously after Marquez landed a devastating counter that knocked Pac-Man out cold.
A loss in that fashion might hurt Pacquiao's reputation, but such a random knockout can happen to even the best in the world, so that shouldn't be taken as a sign that Pac-Man is undeserving of top fights or even finished altogether.
This fight has been talked about for quite some time, but every time it seems to be close to happening, something else gets in the way. If a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout were to take place, it would still be widely considered as the most anticipated bout in boxing history.
Both have been great champions throughout their respective careers and both have beaten a laundry list of quality opponents as well.
On top of that, pay-per-view numbers would be off the charts thanks to the global popularity that each fighter possesses. Granted, Pacquiao has to start winning some fights in order to regain some of the luster lost after two disappointing finishes in a row, but this fight still remains a possibility at some point down the road.
Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1)
In the last five years, the only two people Marquez has fallen victim to have been Pacquiao and Mayweather. Now that Marquez has avenged his loss to Pac-Man, it's now time for the 39-year-old to do the same to Money May.
Marquez had a stunning sixth-round knockout against Pacquiao last December and that certainly gave him the kind of credibility needed to earn another shot at Money May.
In September of 2009, Marquez made it all the way to a decision against Mayweather, only to lose by a unanimous decision in the scorecards. It might not have been Marquez's best fight, but at least he wasn't embarrassed and was able to stand toe-to-toe with one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport.
After his victory over Pac-Man, Marquez cannot be taken lightly by anyone. It might sound absurd to say that a 39-year-old stands a chance against Mayweather in a boxing ring, but that's exactly what everyone thought about his fight with Pacquiao.
If Pacquiao was one of the next in line to fight Money May, then Marquez's victory should place him ahead of Pac-Man.
Not a single soul in the sport would give Marquez a chance in this fight, and rightfully so since no one has ever beaten Money May—let alone a near 40-year-old. But that's exactly the kind of element that makes this a perfect "favorite versus underdog" fight that could lead to the upset of the century.
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