WORLD Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight champion Fernando Montiel believes Mexican Jorge Solis will be an easy opponent for Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao.

In an interview with BusinessMirror moments before his trip back to Mexico, Montiel said Pacquiao will easily knock out Solis even with one hand.

“Pacquiao is too fast and too strong for Solis. It will be an easy fight for Pacquiao,” said Montiel through his interpreter and brother Manuel Jr.

The 27-year-old Pacquiao is scheduled to meet Solis in a 12-round encounter on April 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Pacquiao is reportedly set to leave for and train in the United States on March 5.

Montiel added that Solis has never fought any high-caliber fighter that will make him a tough match-up for Pacquiao.

The lanky 27-year-old Solis is unscathed in 35 fights, scoring 32 wins with 23 knockouts and two draws.

Solis’s biggest fight to date was in September 2004 against world No. 2 super-featherweight Humberto Soto. The fight ended in a no-contest after Solis’s cut from an accidental head butt became too bad for the fight to continue.

The scheduled 10-round fight was stopped after the third round, with Soto leading 29-27 on two of the three judges’ scorecards and 30-26 on the third. Soto dominated the abbreviated bout, knocking down Solis with a left to the head in the third round.

Meanwhile, International promoter and Pacquiao’s confidante Rex “Wakee” Salud revealed that his ward is 80-percent sure of backing out from the coming elections.

Salud said Pacquiao, who was in Cebu last weekend to watch the Fernando Montiel-Z Gorres title fight, met with Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña and ask for the local executive’s political advice.

Osmeña, a successful politician in Cebu, told Pacquiao to forget about politics at the moment and concentrate on his thriving boxing career.

“Osmeña said Manny can win in any election but he would rather see the country’s boxing idol enter the political arena in the next elections,” said Salud.

Last weekend, Pacquiao got a glimpse of what may happen should he pursue a career in politics after he got booed by thousands of fight fans who watched the Montiel-Gorres bout.

LEAVE our players alone.

That’s what the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) told the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) yesterday, virtually saying it shouldn’t poach from its ranks through an “apprenticeship program” just because the pro league’s top stars are playing for the national team.

Pro league reschedules Apprentice Draft from today to Thursday

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has moved its Apprentice Draft from today to Thursday to give its coaches time to study their available options.

WITH most of its top stars gone to see duty on the national team, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) decided to bring in a new attraction.

WORLD Boxing Organization (WBO) super-flyweight champion Fernando Montiel believes Mexican Jorge Solis will be an easy opponent for Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao.

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas (UST) put away University of the Philippines (UP) out of the finals picture in men’s baseball while Adamson University sprung to life in the women’s softball finals, also at UP’s expense, in UAAP Season 69 action.

BLAME it on being rusty if you want but the favorites simply don’t have the spunk and the stamina to win the major event.