Sen. Pacquiao remains the top target

While Floyd Mayweather Jr., firmly retired, has stopped entertaining Manny Pacquiao’s desperate taunts for a rematch, another supremely talented top performer has added himself as The Pacman’s possible next opponent.

In his recent visit to Tokyo, Pacquiao—brushing off Mayweather’s stark announcement that  he’s totally done with fighting, and would rather help promising boxers reach the next level—continued to harp on a second meeting with the unbeaten Floyd Jr.

It could not be determined when Pacquiao would finally honor Mayweather’s wish not to be bothered with empty threats.

However, the call by the sensational Vasyl Lomachenko that he would like to take a crack at Pacquiao has lent hope that the Filipino boxing superstar would finally deal with the reality that he has, in fact, remained top target among reigning world champions—who would love to take a shortcut to superstardom.

Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who scored an eye-popping annihilation of the previously unbeaten Jamaican axeman Nicholas Walters, has announced he would be very proud if somebody would give him the opportunity to fight Pacquiao.

Lomachenko need not look far. Fact is promoter Bob Arum had been trumpeting ahead that the quiet Ukrainian assassin, who has captured two world crowns in only seven professional bouts (he’s 396-1 as an amateur according to box-rec) should soon be lined up against Pacquiao.

Arum has previously suggested the undefeated WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford of Omaha as a truly lucrative opponent for Pacquiao. The names of Danny Garcia and Nate Thurmond had also been mentioned as likely Pacquiao foes.

There has, however, surged a sudden clamor for a Pacquiao-Lomachenko superfight, despite the disparity in weight.  Pacquiao is the reigning WBO welterweight  (147 lb) champion; Lomachenko the WBC super featherweight (130 lb) title-holder.

All told, Lomachenko has loomed top candidate to take on the lone fighting senator in the world, who has clearly remained top target among aspirants for instant superstardom.

Should Mayweather make the choice on who Pacquiao should fight next?