According to a report from BoxingScene, Manny Pacquiao will become a full-time welterweight. The current junior welterweight champ has fought twice at welter against Oscar De La Hoya and most recently against Miguel Cotto for the WBO strap.Trainer Freddie Roach tells BoxingScene that Pacquiao will "not return to 140 pounds". He would go on to say that if anyone at junior welterweight wants to fight Pacquiao, they will in fact have to move up to 147 pounds, which now begs the question: will he relinquish THE RING Magazine's junior welterweight championship?
Since it's rebirth, the title has become the true platform in which to claim supremacy in any given weight class. Unlike the tiresome alphabet boys, THE RING does not strip its champions and it can only be surrendered by losing in the ring, retiring or leaving the weight class completely.
After dethroning Ricky Hatton this past May, Pacquiao has remained champion, despite not having fought again at 140 but if what Roach says is the final say, Pacquiao will have fought his last bout at junior welter in 2009. THE RING however will still wait to hear directly from Pacquiao or his handlers before officially vacating the title.
One look at THE RING's 140-pound rankings reveal that the next two guys behind Manny are WBO titlist Timothy Bradley and WBA beltholder Amir Khan. A box-off between the two would determine a new RING champion, according to their rules should Pacquiao vacate.
As for Manny, he's currently in New York along with Joshua Clottey to promote their March 13 clash.
Source: 411mania.com
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