Lem's latest: Mayweather, Pacquiao -- who are they picking? - Next

Mayweather told Kevin Iole of Yahoo!Sports that he would consider fighting RING middleweight champion Sergio Martinez on May 5 if a bout with Pacquiao can not be made on that date. But Martinez will face Mathew Macklin on March 17 at New York's Madison Square Garden.

So if Mayweather wants Martinez, he simply needs to make that call, said Martinez's advisor, Sampson Lewkowicz.

"Sergio's only thinking about Mathew Macklin at this moment. I don't believe that he really means May 5, because if he did, then he would call [Martinez's promoter,] Lou DiBella, and nobody's called. What I'm saying that if he really wants to fight on May 5, then he should call Lou DiBella or his advisor, immediately," said Lewkowicz.

"Sergio will not entertain any offer that is not for real and take the focus off of the important fight that he has on March 17 at the moment. If he really wants the fight at the catchweight of 150, then he should call immediately, because every moment that goes by, there's less of a chance of it happening. But I've always said this before, and I say it again now, that No. 1 fighter-pound-for-pound, is Floyd Mayweather Jr."

Martinez has apparently answered Mayweather in a statement to BoxingInsider.com.

"I’m focused 100 percent on Matthew Macklin, and I’m not interested in anything else. Floyd had enough time to reach a deal. Anyway, if he wants the fight, he knows who he has to speak with. I said 150 and I will keep my promise," said Martinez.

"The same way I ask [Bernard] Hopkins and [Andre] Ward [to meet at] a catch-weight, I don’t have problems in fighting at junior middleweight. Talk is cheap. Fight or shut up. November would be a good month. I would have enough time to reach 150 and you could be recovered from your holidays."

Mayweather also dismissed as potential rivals Cotto, WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul Alvarez and No. 2-rated lightweight Robert Guerrero, a five-belt winner over the course of three divisions.

Mayweather said Alvarez would be a good opponent "down the line," but considers Cotto to be "Pacquiao's leftovers," having been dethroned via 12th-round knockout as WBO welterweight beltholder by Pacquiao in November of 2009.

But with May 5 being Cinco De Mayo, would four-division beltwinner and WBC junior middleweight titleholder Erik Morales of Mexico be a consideration for Mayweather?

WHAT ABOUT COTTO?

Cotto's advisor, Gaby Penagaricano, addressed his position in the Mayweather-Pacquiao sweepstakes, and also discussed the notion of facing Alvarez in a Puerto Rico-Mexico rivalry.

"I'd rather not discount anyone, at this point," said Penagaricano. "But maybe I see that fight with Alvarez being a little further down the road and not in the immediate future."

As for Cotto against Mayweather or Pacquiao?

"Either and both, as we said. Both are out there, both are big, big fights, and, I think that both would make very, very good business and very good fights for the fans. What is more accurate is that I know that for both Manny and Floyd, they are still option 'A' for each other," said Penagaricano.

"I think that we will know very soon, definitely by next week, whether that 'A' option will be compromised or not. It's all about May 5. That's the date for the first fight between those two. If they're not going to fight each other, Floyd is fighting on May 5. Whoever he fights, you need to promote it, and we're running out of time. The clock is ticking, is what I'm trying to say."

Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com