Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. both were at a Miami Heat basketball game Tuesday night and exchanged contact information, fueling speculation a super fight is closer than ever to happening. If so, WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto's next fight is in limbo.
Canelo Alvarez walked away from talks with Cotto, who was not satisfied with his purse. Alvarez has signed the dotted line for a fight in May vs. James Kirkland, and if Mayweather fights Pacquiao, there's no clear opponent for Cotto.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum may have someone to fill the void-Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios.
"There are four guys [Top Rank works with] -- Jessie Vargas, Brandon Rios, Timothy Bradley and Miguel Cotto -- and we're going to see what we can do to match the four up," Arum said.
Rios is not in the caliber of Alvarez or Mayweather in terms of skill or drawing power, but he does provide non-stop action each time out. He has won two straight fights since being demolished by Pacquiao in November 2013, and this past Saturday's rout of rival Mike Alvarado was arguably the best he's looked in his entire career.
"I am back. Everybody forgot about me. But I am back. I prepared myself very well. I am motivated to get back to the top. I didn't want my career to end now. I didn't want that to happen. I am still young in the sport, still have a lot in my tank," Rios said after the win.
"I'm not f---ing around anymore. I am back to be dedicated to this sport. I am not going anywhere."
While Rios is the hotter name at this point, Bradley is someone whom Arum has wanted to pair with Cotto for some time. Back in June, ahead of Cotto's clash with then-WBC champion Sergio Martinez Arum was touting Bradley as an opponent.
"I think a lot of people might want to see a Miguel-Bradley fight," Arum said. "We've made him, I think, a major star. Timothy is a great fighter, a great kid and great in the ring. People want to see him fight, and so there are a lot of big fights out there for Tim. We've made a lot of money and we'll continue to make him a lot of money."
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