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WBA and IBF junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson, who scored a big upset win over Freddie Roach-trained Amir Khan on December 10, tells RingTV.com that he's ready to face Manny Pacquiao if that's a fight Team Pacquiao wants, and recent comments give at least a little hope to the idea that Pacquiao vs Peterson is a possibility:
"I'm all for it. If I get that call, I'll be ready to go. You know, it's a dream that you dream of growing up. You want to fight the best. "You get into the sport to fight the best. And Manny Pacquiao is definitely one of the best. So I'm anxious to see how my style matches up with him."
Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO) supposedly has a $1 million offer on the table to rematch Amir Khan, but he's not leaping into that fight and is happily exploring all options. Right now, Peterson can't really make a bad move. If it comes down to the Khan offer being the best fight for him, it's a good deal. He'll be paid well and it's a marquee fight.
But obviously Pacquiao is a bigger story and a bigger fight. Roach recently told RingTV.com that he thinks Peterson would be a great opponent for Manny if a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr can't be made next:
"I think that Lamont Peterson is a great opponent for Manny Pacquiao if the Mayweather fight doesn't happen, in my opinion. That is, if Lamont really doesn't want to take the fight with Amir Khan."
Personally, I think it's a good fight but not a great one, and I wouldn't give Lamont much chance to win. The mistakes that Khan made, which allowed Peterson the opportunities to keep himself in the fight, aren't made by Manny Pacquiao. If Peterson makes the Pacquiao Pool a four-way dance (with Marquez, Cotto and Bradley), he's the option I'd least like to see from a competitive standpoint, but I couldn't muster up much hate for the fight if it did happen. Lamont Peterson is a class guy and a hard working fighter, and I'd just be happy for him getting that sort of opportunity.