Las Vegas or Los Angeles? Marco Antonio Barrera or Humberto Soto? Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao told The Manila Bulletin/Fightnews.com that he will definitely see action on October 6 against a foe yet to named and in a venue that Top Rank will soon pick. “The choice of opponent is still being discussed but it’s definite that I am fighting in October,” said Pacquiao, who has an ax to grind against the two Mexicans being mentioned as candidates. Soto earned the ire of Pacquiao after the 27-year-old native Mexican beat up Bobby Pacquiao last June 9 at Madison Square Garden in New York, while Barrera has remained a prime target of Pacquiao owing to statements made by Barrera that he wasn’t mentally prepared when he faced and lost to Pacquiao by 11th round knockout in November 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. “I don’t care who it is going to be,” said Pacquiao, who hasn’t fought since overpowering Jorge Solis of Mexico last April in Texas . “I will beat them both.”
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum hinted a last-minute change in plans in an interview Wednesday morning (Tuesday night) from Las Vegas. “Vancouver may or may not be,” said Arum, who declined to comment further as he is set to announce something on Wednesday although he told the Bulletin that the mediation is headed “in the right direction.” Arum, 75, said “Manny’s being informed of the situation.” Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) are slugging it out for the promotional rights over Pacquiao and Daniel Weinstein, a retired San Francisco judge, has been acting as the arbitrator the past couple of weeks. If the fight ends up in Los Angeles, it will be held at the Staples Center, site of his sixth-round dumping of Hector Velazaquez in Sept. 2005.
