NEW YORK — Amid all the confusion regarding who, when and where Manny Pacquiao is going to fight next, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was on hand on Thursday afternoon to try his best to paint a clear picture of what’s on the horizon for the much sought-after Filipino southpaw.
Arum revealed that Marco Antonio Barrera, who is aching to get it on with Pacquiao, “is out unless he changes his mind” while another Mexican, Humberto Soto, is the frontrunner and his chances of landing a big Pacquiao payday will only be enhanced if he wins against Bobby Pacquiao on Saturday night.
“That may very well be the fight. That may very well be the fight. That may very well be…” Arum told the Bulletin and Dan Rafael of ESPN.com during a chat inside Madison Square Garden, site of Saturday night’s big boxing show headlined by the Miguel Cotto-Zab Judah clash.
Barrera, Arum said, is disenchanted with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) over failed efforts to allow him to square off with Pacquiao.
“Barrera met with Golden Boy and Barrera is pissed at them and he said that he wants an easy fight in Mexico and he doesn’t want to fight either (Juan Manuel) Marquez or Manny Pacquiao,” said Arum. “That’s what I got back from two sources, a Golden Boy source through HBO and another thought (renowned Mexican boxing manager) Fernando Beltran,” said the 75-year-old Arum.
“So Barrera is out and you can’t turn him around. He doesn’t want to earn money for Golden Boy. He’s pissed at them and whether he’s right to be pissed at them, wrong to be pissed with them, it ain’t for me to say.”
Arum also disclosed that while Soto appears to be the favored fighter as of this time, two other guys remain in the running.
Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic and Edwin Valero of Venezuela are still being considered in the event Soto suffers an upset against the Pacman’s unheralded but still-dangerous younger brother.
“Guzman’s people are here and people from Vancouver are here,” said Arum in relation to efforts by a group in Canada to bring a Pacquiao fight over there possibly against Guzman or Soto.
“If it’s Valero, we will go to Macau,” said Arum, who disclosed that following the decision of Barrera to turn his back, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach now prefers Pacquiao to face Valero.
The undefeated Valero is based in Japan and is not permitted to fight in the US and even possibly in Canada.
Arum said he expects a call from Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda on Friday or Saturday to know the status of Valero, who is currently vacationing in Venezuela.
“That’s what Freddie wants the most. Freddie doesn’t want him (Pacquiao) to fight him now. He wants another fight before that fight,” said Arum.
As for Marquez, it doesn’t look like a rematch with Pacquiao could be made as it has been announced that Marquez will defend his World Boxing Council superfeatherweight crown against Jorge Barrios of Argentina on Sept. 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Still, everything would all depend on what’s going to happen in the Soto-Bobby Pacquiao match.
“There’s no reason to push this to the ultimate until after Saturday,” added Arum.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is going to surface Friday night when he graces the 82nd Boxing Writers Association of America awards dinner at the Copacabana to receive the coveted 2006 Edward Neil Trophy (Fighter of the Year).
The last two days, Pacquiao has been spending time with wife Jinkee and two sons in Atlantic City, New Jersey, after vacationing in Orlando, Florida, starting last week.
Pacquiao has openly expressed his desire to face Barrera in a rematch and there reports that men who have close links with Paquiao and GBP are going to meet anytime in the next three days to discuss the possibility of salvaging a Pacquiao-Barrera rematch that will financially reward the two fighters.
“What Manny needs right now is a fight against bignamed opponent,” said Wakee Salud, one of Pacquiao’s close friends, who flew in Thursday morning from Manila via Los Angeles.
