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Yes, Pacquiao-Margarito will eventually find a home, if it’s the last thing that Top Rank capo Bob Arum does this year.

But doesn’t it make you grin a sheepish grin, knowing that Antonio "plaster of Paris" Margarito is being made to sweat before he finds out whether he will ever earn another penny for his punches? If you think I’m cruel, you shouldn’t. Any man who has committed the "fistic" crime of loading one’s gloves (hand wraps to be exact), knowingly or unknowingly (yeah right!), is lucky to be walking the streets.

Many say that it’s unfair to retroactively accuse of Margarito of cheating in his fights prior to the hardened substance being found in his gloves before the Shane Mosley beat-down. I say that if you get caught red-handed, it simply means that you were slippery enough to escape in the past. No one said I’d make a good judge in a court of law. I am just calling it as I see it.

And I am not alone in my "critical" thinking on the matter.

In a sport that is often soul-less, boxing commissions have seemingly found God. Top Rank Promotions and Margarito’s handlers were recently California (commission) dreaming for a fight, but my friends on the "Wesside" were not buying it. And that’s saying a lot for a state in such economic straits.

Eventually some commission will succumb to the lure of the economic boon that a Pacquiao-Margarito fight would bring. But until that time, boxing’s soul is shining, and for that, I am content.

I do not always agree with everything that venerable HBO commentator Larry Merchant says, but he did make a real telling statement in the wake of Jean Pascal’s (26-1, 16 KOs) upset win against "Bad" Chad Dawson (29-1, 17 KOs) last night.

With arguably the best super middleweight in the world Lucian Bute (26-0, 21 KOs) sitting ringside, it is only natural to consider pitting him against Pascal in all-Canadian superfight at 175 pounds. Merchant echoed that sentiment, and went even further. He suggested that the just-vanquished Dawson fight the recently-victorious (over Glen Johnson) Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs).

And there you have it. A truncated version of Showtime Boxing’s Super Six super middleweight tournament, featuring the division’s top four fighters. Making the match-making conceivably easier is the fact that they are all HBO fighters. I left out Bernard Hopkins for the time-being, since he appears more interested in fighting older peers.

THE PARTICIPANTS

Lucian Bute is probably the slickest boxer of the entire crew. Even scarier (for his opponents) is that he seems to be increasing his punching power of late — three straight knockouts in his defenses. The negatives: he’d be naturally smaller than any of his opponents in this tourney and his opposition at 168 hasn’t exactly been scintillating.

Tavoris Cloud’s stock is as high as his last name right about now. In a very exciting fight last week, he decisioned the always-tough Glen Johnson. He’s the hardest-punching and physically-strongest fighter of the lot. His problem: he may be too plodding and slow for Bute, Dawson or Pascal.

Chad Dawson’s stock couldn’t be lower. He’s coming off the first defeat of his career, suffered a nasty cut via accidental headbutt that may require extended time off, and he’s apparently dealing with various financial/legal issues according to recent reports. All that being said, he’s probably still the best boxer of the bunch.

Jean Pascal is a happy man right now. He’s the Ring champion at light heavyweight. He has more options than a millionaire bachelor. Not including any of the boxers listed above, he’s already thrown out names like (retired) Calzaghe, Froch and (functionally retired) Hopkins. In my humble opinion, his biggest problem is that he’s the worst fighter on the list.

But tell that to Chad Dawson.

That is why they fight the fights. And it’s why I am re-tweeting Merchant’s idea to HBO Boxing. It can’t hurt, can it?

I’ll be straight with you. I did not watch the unnecessary pay-per-view rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz last night. Thanks to Kevin Iole’s tweets, I followed the fight through his lens. And as I predicted, Marquez dominated their return match. He did everything but knock Diaz out.

So what’s next for Juan Manuel Marquez in the wake of his bounce-back win against Juan Diaz?

Since Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have had a harder time settling on a date than Oprah and Stedman, it only seems natural that Marquez would be the ideal replacement. Just to be clear, he’d be best suited as Pacquiao’s next opponent. We have already seen how the Mayweather-Marquez scenario plays out and that particular sequel would not be welcomed.

One could argue that Juan Manuel Marquez has always been Manny Pacquiao’s most ideal opponent from a matchmaking standpoint. One, they have a history of very close, entertaining fights. Two, both men have the ability to draw thousands of Filipino (Pacquiao) and Mexican (Marquez) fans and high-rollers, to Las Vegas, Nevada.

And three, it’s a fight, outside of Mayweather-Pacquiao, that the boxing public would actually buy as a legitimate superfight.

Memo to Bob Arum: Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III qualifies as a superfight, not Pacquiao-Margarito.

Earth to Ja Dawson: Get real!

Ja Dawson to earth: Isn’t it OK to be able to dream a little? 

Today’s post is dedicated in loving memory of James B. Dawson.

Juan Manuel Marquez will defeat Juan Diaz in a classic. That’s what I said on February 22, 2009. And that’s what I am saying on July 18, 2010. The only thing that has changed is 1) when the fight takes place and 2) how long the fight will last.

As history has shown us in recent Fight of the Year-worthy bouts, the winner of the first fight usually wins the rematch. And in most cases, the second win comes even easier.

Given the fact that Juan Diaz (35-3 17 KOs) has "lost (judges awarded Diaz a dubious decision in his hometown in their first fight)" his two fights to Paulie Malignaggi after his bout with Marquez, conventional wisdom stands to reason here.

Diaz backers would counter that Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1 37 KOs) hasn’t looked that good most recently either. More specifically, he was totally dominated by Floyd Mayweather in his latest bout. That is true. But I think getting dominated by, arguably, the greatest boxer on the planet is not the same as getting spanked by the light-hitting Malignaggi. And I say that with all due respect to "Paulie Maggs."

When it’s all said and done, Marquez is still the better boxer. He’s still the harder puncher. And, most importantly, he knows how to beat Juan Diaz. That’s too much to ignore.

JUAN MANUAL MARQUEZ WILL STOP JUAN DIAZ IN ROUND 8, IN MORE DOMINANT FASHION THAN THE PREQUEL.

If Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao do not fight this November, I’m going to be real heated. I won’t be as upset as Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was after Lebron James bolted for Miami last week. My angst will probably be closer to that of a New York Knicks fan (who also lost out on James) – upset, but not "Dan Gilbert-upset."

Lebron’s decision was televised and viewed by 10 million people. Mayweather’s decision will probably not be televised and will not be viewed by millions. However, the decision will send similar shock-waves throughout the boxing world and broader sports world. Yes, this fight-in-the-making is that big.

The Top Five Reasons Why Mayweather-Pacquiao Needs To Happen This November

1. Mayweather’s reputation will take another major blow, should he walk away from this fight a second time.
2. I do not want to see Pacquiao beat up Miguel Cotto again.
3. It’s been a very quiet summer in boxing, we need a rise in the fall.
4. Antonio Margarito, another possible Mayweather substitute, does not deserve the payday.
5. It should have happened last year. Period.

According to ESPN.COM’s Dan Rafael, Mayweather has until week’s end to agree to the terms of the fight. Now that the so-called "no comment" moratorium is obviously over, let’s hope that Mayweather’s comment by week’s end is a resounding, Obama-like, "yes we can." If it’s not, I’ll be the disappointed Knick fan that I am — waiting until next year for better news.