TOP RANK chairman Bob Arum is looking at the possibility of Manny Pacquiao fighting either Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic or Marco Antonio Barrera of Mexico.
“I will be meeting with Guzman?s people this week and with Barrera?s on May 19,” Arum said in an interview from his Las Vegas offices yesterday.
Guzman is under Oscar De La Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotion (GBP) although Arum said that the southern California-based Sycuan Promotions has the final say on Guzman?s ring affairs as it has a bigger stake in the New York-based Guzman?s management and promotional decisions.
Arum went on a holiday to Mauritius immediately after the successful April 14 Pacquiao versus Jorge Solis showdown in San Antonio, Texas, and only reported back to work on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
Owing to the tight schedule of Pacquiao, Top Rank is looking at a November fight date.
“I have been told that Manny won?t be ready to fight until late-October so I am looking at a November date for him,” said Arum, knowing all too well that the Filipino southpaw has been very much involved in his political campaign in South Cotabato where he is running to unseat the heavily-favored Darlene Antonino-Custodio on May 14.
“There?s enough time to find an opponent for Manny,” added Arum, whose promotional outfit remains engaged in a legal tussle with GBP over the rights to Pacquiao, widely recognized today as boxing?s biggest draw next to De La Hoya.
Guzman, 32, is actually slated to fight this month, while Barrera?s future remains on hold following his loss to Juan Manuel Marquez last March.
Ringsiders believe the perfect matchup involving Pacquiao would be against Marquez although it doesn?t appear that GBP would agree to work with Arum since De La Hoya and the seventy-something promoter have been feuding the past several years.
Meanwhile, Arum said the Pacquiao-Solis show did well in the pay-per-view sales but he would only get the official figures within two weeks.
The crowd attendance of 14,793 at the Alamodome that was configured to seat 20,000 during fight night is the second largest in Texas history.
