IF BOBBY Pacquiao scores an upset against Humberto Soto in New York on June 9 and Erik Morales succeeds in winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight crown on August 4 in Chicago, they’re going to find themselves on top of the ring before the close of 2007.
This was revealed Friday night (late Saturday morning in Manila) by one of Bobby’s handlers, Canadian Mike Koncz, who is closely watching the training of the Pacman’s younger brother in Los Angeles.
“That’s the plan and I have talked with (Morales’ manager) Fernando Beltran about this,” said Koncz as he was keenly awaiting the arrival of Manny and his wife and two sons at the Palazzo apartment in La Brea from a long flight from Manila.
Koncz said the underachieving Bobby has to look good against Soto for the mouth-watering fight to materialize.
“If we get blown out (by Soto)…” said Koncz, that fight is definitely not taking place. Morales is facing David Diaz for the WBC 135-lb throne and ringsiders believe there still some championship juice left in Morales’ tank most especially that he will not go through hell shedding off weight.
The last time Morales went up the ring, he was badly beaten by Pacquiao in their 130-lb encounter late last year in Las Vegas.
Koncz said he is not surprised that Bobby is a huge underdog against Soto “but I feel very good about this fight.”
Trainer Freddie Roach said he’s never seen Bobby worked hard in the gym in the runup for a fight.
“We have a puncher’s chance,” said Roach, who will be reunited with Pacman this week as they are both recipients of major awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America on Friday.
Joining Pacquiao and the Top Rank inner circle in the Big Apple are Wakee Salud, lawyer Franklin Gacal, cornerman Buboy Fernandez and a handful of others from the Philippines.
