Promoter Lou DiBella told NYFightblog that he's slightly worried that all he's hearing is what comes next for middleweight champion Sergio Martinez after he beats Darren Barker in Atlantic City Saturday night.

DiBella says Barker is no bum, has nothing to lose and that he would prefer not to indulge in speculation about what comes next for Martinez, who is acknowledged to be one of the top three pound for pound boxers on the planet. But, he understands that fans are hungering for some clarity in the pound for pound picture.

Clarity would be best achieved if Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would cease their years-long period of flirtation, estrangement and court-room battles (Pacquiao has a case pending against Team Mayweather for alleged libel) and hash it out in the ring. But if that can't occur -- and it seems a fair bet that at the very least it won't happen in the near future, with Mayweather staring down a bunch of assault charges, including one involving the mother of his children -- then Pacquiao-Martinez is an acceptable substitute.

DiBella told NYFightblog that Martinez is willing to "drain himself" to make 150 to fight Pacquiao, and would make 154, agree to a stringent drug-testing regimen and a cap on fightnight weight gain to meet Floyd.