Floyd Mayweather could make fight announcement next week, says Schaefer

Richard Schaefer believes that Floyd Mayweather will choose an opponent for his next fight soon, possibly as soon as next week, telling ESPN New York that there are three fighters in the running, most likely.

Schaefer said "Floyd likes challenges" and will likely pick from among Guerrero, Canelo Alvarez and perhaps Cotto in a rematch for his next outing.

"Floyd doesn't shy away from anyone," Schaefer said. "Now, he will say, 'Let's see what the money is.'"

Well, if he's looking for the most money, the answer is Canelo Alvarez. With a huge fan base, great TV support, and the fact that he's a fresh opponent on the rise (unlike Miguel Cotto, who is also a star), Canelo seems like the perfect fit to make Floyd's next fight a huge event.

Golden Boy also seems set on having Alvarez return on May 4, which surely Floyd would also like to be his next fight date.

As for the other two, I believe a Mayweather-Cotto rematch would sell fine, but not as well as the first fight. Though Cotto was competitive and made it a fun fight to watch, the fight had a clear victor, and a rematch isn't really begging to be made. In other words, it would be palatable, but it's far from must-have.

As for Guerrero, I do believe he's done enough to warrant the shot -- he's done as much as Victor Ortiz ever has -- but unless Mayweather specifically wants to fight at 147 instead of 154 again, he'd have to be considered the darkhorse of this group. Guerrero isn't a major star, and the other two guys are.

The news that Mayweather could make a choice next week isn't a big surprise. With Cotto fighting on Saturday, that will make his status much clearer, as well as either raise or lower the chances of Canelo or Guerrero landing the fight.

There is the issue of TV rights, too. Mayweather has stated a very clear loyalty to HBO, the far bigger network, with a wider reach, and much more pay-per-view experience. Alvarez, meanwhile, has been a jewel pickup for Showtime recently, scoring their highest-ever Nielsen rating for boxing in September, while Cotto is also fighting his next bout on Showtime. Whomever Mayweather chooses to fight next, you can be about 99.9% sure it will be an HBO pay-per-view event, which could be interesting given that Showtime has put stock into their deep relationship with Golden Boy, and scoring guys like Alvarez and Cotto has really pushed their brand forward.