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EVERYTHING remains on the negotiating table on who will
Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent be, according to the
Filipino boxing sensation’s confidant, international
promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud.
In a
telephone interview with the BusinessMirror yesterday,
Salud said it might even take up to the end of the year
for Pacquiao to finally decide on who his next foe will
be.
“It’s
still a toss-up between two fighters. Manny is taking
his time and is carefully studying which fight offers
the best money for him,” said Salud. “It’s really all up
to Manny. Whoever he wants to fight next, his promoters
will have little option to oppose Manny’s choice.”
Salud
disclosed that Pacquiao left for the United States late
last week mainly to shoot his Nike commercial and not
solely to discuss his next fight. Pacquiao arrived home
yesterday morning to shoot some plugs with GMA 7 where
he recently signed a sitcom deal.
Last
week, Top Rank Inc. big boss Bob Arum told the
BusinessMirror that Pacquiao will choose between World
Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion David Diaz and
WBC super-featherweight ruler Juan Manuel Marquez of
Mexico.
“Arum
was asked by Manny to meet him in Los Angeles which Arum
did. All Arum did was to present to Manny the finer
details of the offer for both Marquez and Diaz,” added
Salud.
Arum,
however, hinted that he will bat for Diaz as Pacquiao’s
next opponent.
“Manny
deserves to go into the ring as the champion in fighting
Marquez. And since Manny is having trouble making the
130-lb limit, this is the perfect opportunity to fight
in the lightweight and win another championship,” said
Arum.
Arum has
reserved a March 15 date for Pacquiao with HBO.
Another
source privy to the talks bared that Arum is pushing for
Diaz because his promotional deal with the current
lightweight champion is about to expire early next year.
“Arum
wants to maximize whatever financial terms he ought to
get before his deal ends. Diaz is the only fighter under
Top Rank who can command a hefty fight purse against
Pacquiao,” said the source who requested anonymity.
Pacquiao
also hinted in his column in a local tabloid which is
also posted on the web site philboxing.com that he
prefers to fight Marquez when both of them are
champions. The 34-year-old Marquez is promoted by Golden
Boy Promotions (GBP) owned by boxing superstar Oscar de
la Hoya.
Marquez
has been constantly touted as the best foe for Pacquiao
because of his come-from-behind 12-round draw with the
Filipino where the Mexican survived three first-round
knockdowns in their only encounter on May 2004 at the
MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
Marquez
won the WBC crown over compatriot Marco Antonio Barrera
last March, also in Las Vegas.
“It
doesn’t matter who between Diaz and Marquez Manny fights
next. As long as he’ll be happy with the fight purse,
everything will be fine,” added the source.
Top Rank
and GBP are compelled by a court-ordered mediation
process to work together in promoting Pacquiao’s future
bouts.
The
partnership came to pass after Pacquiao signed two
similar promotional deals with both Top Rank and GBP
late last year.
Arum,
however, told the BusinessMirror in the same interview
last week that Top Rank and Pacquiao will decide who the
Filipino superstar battles.
“We have
the complete say on who Manny fights. That decision is
made by Manny Pacquiao and myself. Once the decision is
made, then if it’s a Golden Boy fighter, Golden Boy is
part of the copromotion,” said Arum. “If it’s not a
Golden Boy fighter, they are not part of the promotion
but they share part of the promotion’s profit.” |
