Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez is optimistic that the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will still happen in 2015 or before both fighters decide to retire from boxing.
Cortez said in a recent interview with On The Ropes Boxing Radio that Mayweather and Pacquiao will eventually set aside their respective egos and give the fight fans that bout that they want.
However, Cortez pointed out that Pacquiao will have to win first in his World Boxing Organization welterweight title defense against Chris Algieri on Nov. 22 in Macau, China.
"Pacquiao gets past Chris Algieri, it will happen next year," Cortez said. "I think that Mayweather and Pacquiao, they're both coming to the end of their careers and they're probably saying, 'Let's give the fans one last hurrah, let's do the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in 2015.'"
Cortez is hoping that Pacquiao will win against Algieri, but he also conceded that the Filipino boxing icon might have his hands full against Algieri. He pointed out that Algieri may not be a big puncher, but the Huntington, New York native is very difficult to hit because he uses his jab effectively and also has a four-inch height advantage.
"If Pacquiao loses to Chris Algieri, it's gonna be hard for Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight next year because people are not gonna want to buy it," Cortez added. "For boxing, I hope Pacquiao wins because I'd like to see him and Mayweather get it on finally but I think Chris Algieri is gonna give him a very difficult fight. It can be an upset."
And in the event the super fight happens next year, Cortez predicted a decision win for the reigning pound-for-pound king. He said that age is catching with both fighters, but he is convinced that Pacquiao's skill level is slipping a lot more than the unbeaten welterweight and light middleweight champion.
"That fight is a fight that I see Mayweather winning by decision because Mayweather still has those skills," Cortez said. "Pacquiao getting knocked out by Marquez, and he looked okay when he fought Brandon Rios in Macau, China but he's slipping a lot too. He's slipping a lot more than Mayweather is, so I gotta go with Mayweather on that one."
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