LAS VEGAS ? There will be a title at stake in the ?Will To Win? bout between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera after all.
Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Eric Buhain told The Star yesterday the Mexico City-based World Boxing Council (WBC) has sanctioned the scheduled 12-round fight as Pacquiao?s defense of the WBC International superfeatherweight crown.
Buhain flew in from Manila last Thursday night to act as WBC supervisor at ringside. He will take the place of WBC president Jose Sulaiman who is committed to be in New York for heavyweight interim title match between Samuel Peter and Jameel McCline at Madison Square Garden.
It was earlier reported that Pacquiao and Barrera agreed to face each other with no title on the line after grumbling about paying a sanction fee.
But Buhain said co-promoters Top Rank and Golden Boy had a late change of heart. In fact, Buhain was told of his assignment only last Tuesday. It is the sixth WBC title fight he will supervise after two in Japan (Kyowa-Mayol, Pongsaklek-Naito), one in Korea (In Jin Chi-Lopez), one in Las Vegas (Castillo-Corrales) and one in Manila (Pacquiao-Larios).
Unlike WBC title fights where the governing body charges a sanction fee of three percent of each fighter?s purse, the ?International? version has a flat rate of $5,000 for the champion and $2,000 for the challenger. Additionally, the promoter is assessed a $5,000 sanction fee and $1,500 for hospitalization and life insurance.
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In his 61st floor suite at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Pacquiao strummed an acoustic guitar while watching the news on TV just before turning in to sleep at 9 Thursday night.
Pacquiao was garbed in a brand-new Nike red sweat suit with his name emblazoned at the back. He sat leisurely on a lounging chair, his feet in socks raised up.
Pacquiao recounted how he was bombarded by questions from the press for an hour that afternoon at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Even a four-man TV crew from China planed in just to get sound bites from Pacquiao.
?I told the Chinese reporters I?m looking forward to visiting China,? said Pacquiao who is being lined up for a match in Macau late this year or early the next. Pacquiao gave at least eight interviews with different media groups, including a wacky tandem dressed in ?60s hippie clothes reporting for a popular radio program, during the media availability session.
After the interviews, Pacquiao was driven in a golf cart by the Mandalay Bay chief of security with two companions?one was former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis (Chavit) Singson?from the Events Center to the hotel where he is billeted. The drive took about five minutes.
