Although there's a big chance the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios bout will take place in the Philippines on May 20 or July 2, an equally explosive co-feature is shaping up as organizers are thinking of pitting Mexican superstar Marco Antonio Barrera against Filipino dynamite Randy "Komong Bato" Suico as a co-feature to the bout.
HBO, according to reliable sources, is dangling $2.1 Million as Pacquiao's purse for the Larios fight (roughly 109 Million pesos), although the Mexican might be replaced if he opts to be paid like a champion which he once was.
Rex "Wakee" Salud, Pacquiao's business associate who will co-promote the fight, told Philboxing.com and Mannypacquiao.ph yesterday that nothing is etched in stone yet as to the final venue of the bout, although the Filipino superstar has already expressed preference in holding it here.
Salud, however, indicated that a possible Barrera-Suico bout looms in the co-feature, considering that Barrera is currently shopping around for a foe following the postponement of his bout with WBC lightweight king Jesus "El Matador" Chavez.
"I am more than ready to face Barrera if that is what my manager tells me to do. And of course, if the price is right," said the Mandaue City-based Suico when interviewed yesterday.
An earlier plan to pit Barrera against Bobby Pacquiao was turned down, as organizers deemed the younger Pacquiao unacceptable to HBO owing to his not-so-impressive fight record.
"HBO maintains unequalled quality standards in the fights they cover. Randy Suico would surely be a more-than-acceptable proposition as a Barrera opponent," Salud stressed.
The mean fighting machine Suico, who recently relinquished his OPBF super-featherweight title to campaign in the bigger lightweight class, parades a 24-2 win-loss slate adorned with 21 KO's, and is considered one of the hardest punching fighters in the division.
Bobby Pacquiao owns a 26-11-3 win-loss-draw card with 11 KO's.
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