Pacquiao’s struggle could spur fight with Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao’s struggle to a controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez could nudge the Filipino boxing icon closer to a megafight showdown against unbeaten US star Floyd Mayweather.

Pacquiao stretched his win streak to 15 fights with a majority decision over Marquez on Saturday at Las Vegas, but lacked the overpowering form he had shown in seven fights since a previous controversial triumph over Marquez in 2008.

“PacMan” needed 28 stitches to close a cut over his right eye suffered in a 10th-round head-butt and had two judges who gave him the final round scored it the other way, the fight would have been scored a draw.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum dismissed Marquez’s talk that he might retire, saying the likely $10 million payday for a fourth fight could change his mind and that he would try to stage a fourth Marquez-Pacquiao fight next May.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, said he felt Marquez de-served a re-match before the Asian southpaw faced Mayweather.

Mayweather, through advisor Leonard Ellerbe, has said he wants to fight Pacquiao next May. Arum dismissed Mayweather having already set a date and site for the fight and Roach said Mayweather has no business trying to set terms.

“I’m kind of tired of Floyd. Shut up and fight or don’t,” Roach said.

“He wants to dictate everything. Who is he to make the rules?”

If nothing else, the possibility of turning back to Marquez would give Arum some leverage in talks with Mayweather’s camp about terms for a long-sought fight that figures to bring each fighter about $50 million – if it happens.

Mayweather faces an evidence hearing next month on felony charges of grand larceny, coercion and robbery from a 2010 incident that could land him 34 years in prison.