A source close to the situation has informed us that undefeated welterweight Paul Spadafora is currently waiting on standby as Floyd Mayweather's next opponent should the pound-for-pound king indeed return this summer. Earlier this year, Floyd Mayweather Sr. hinted that a bout with Spadafora was indeed a possibility if his son chose to take an interim fight prior to a showdown with fellow pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao. "Spadafora can get that fight. If he needs some money, he can get it. If he needs a whoppin', he can get it. And a whoopin' he's gonna get because if he takes the fight, that's what's gonna happen. But that fight, we'd be more than glad to take it. We will oblige him to that fight. And I'ma tell you this right here, there's no question, no doubt about it, Spadafora gets stopped," the elder Mayweather commented during an interview with On The Ropes Radio. As rumors continue to surface about Mayweather's possible return to the ring this summer, our source tells us that Spadafora is now on a self-imposed gag order, refusing to speak about his own future plans, let alone a potential clash with Floyd.
"Spaddy's not trying to talk to anyone until he's 100 [percent confident] about the Mayweather fight," our source revealed. Spadafora, who sports a record of 45-0-1 with 19 KOs, last fought this past November, scoring an impressive stoppage of Alain Hernandez after battering the game opponent over the course of 5 rounds. Shortly after the fight, the Pittsburgh native returned to Gio's Brooklyn Boxing Gym in Burbank, California to continue training with Hall of Famer Jesse Reid. Prior to the revelation from Mayweather Sr., Spadafora was hoping to already be back in the ring around this time.
"I'm training for a fight in late February or early March, so whatever will come about, that's what I'm going to do. Of course I would pull out of the fight if I would get a fight like Mayweather," Spadafora would tell the hosts of On The Ropes Radio back in January. Since that interview, however, it would appear that he's received some information that has altered his plans to make a quick turn around to get back in the boxing ring. "He's not trying to mess up his opportunity. He's pretty much put his career on hold until he gets word on whether or not the Mayweather fight will take place," the source added.
Obviously, the fight is solely dependent on whether or not Mayweather is indeed planning on taking a fight this summer. While many will argue that Mayweather's next opponent should be Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino superstar's May showdown with Shane Mosley, Mayweather's last opponent, makes it virtually impossible for that fight to take place during the summer. Considering that Mayweather's last bout was 10 months ago, it would be wise for him to take an interim fight before facing off against Pacquiao, who has stayed far more active. While some may question whether or not Spadafora deserves a shot at Mayweather, keep in mind that he is a former lightweight champion and he does sport an undefeated record. On top of that, there's the famous sparring session that they had back in 1999, where he appeared to get the upper hand on Mayweather. It should also be noted that Spadafora, like Pacquiao, is a southpaw fighter. Although their similarities end there, the fact that Mayweather is considering a southpaw for his next fight is a good sign that a showdown with Pacquiao could indeed be just around the corner.
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