I know he got blown out in his first election try by Dazzling Darlene but Manny Pacquiao knows how to play politricks, I mean politics. In fact, if he keeps blowing smoke like he did in speaking to a crowd the other day in Cebu, we might have to start calling him ?Puff Daddy.?
Now Pacman is telling the public he wants to fight a tricycle driver. I don’t know whether to say tsk-tsk or tuk-tuk.
His co-promoter Bob Arum has two candidates for Manny’s next ring appearance.
Arum is hoping Humberto Soto can upset Joan Guzman Nov. 17 on HBO and Top Rank can put its own guy in as Pacman?s March 1 opponent. If, Pacquiao suddenly decides he wants to jump up to the lightweight division, Arum has WBC champ David Diaz on standby. David against Manny is like pitting a man with a water pistol against a guy wielding a loaded Glock.
For their part, Golden Boy doesn?t want anybody except their guy, WBC champ Juan Manuel Marquez, penciled in as Megamanny?s first 2008 opponent.
But, in a clever but transparent way, Pacquiao is pushing the unbeaten Venezuela slugger Edwin Valero as his next foe. From a boxing standpoint, from wanting to fight a boxer who he will blow out like a birthday candle, Valero makes sense to and for Manny. From a commercial standpoint, though, Valero is not going to create any box office or PPV magic like the Mexican legends, Barrera and Morales, did.
Here?s the ?teaser? Pacman threw out to some of his worshippers: ?We actually have plans to move to lightweight division. But after my fight against Barrera, we had a press conference. Valero suddenly came in and said he’s the only one who can beat me. I said to myself, wow.
“He has a very impressive record. Of his 22 wins, 18 of which came by knockout in the first round. That’s how tough he is. But I’m not afraid of him. He’s the type of boxer I’m willing to go after He really wants to fight me and for that I will stay as a super featherweight. Maybe he’s looking for an early defeat against me.”
Maybe Manny missed it in all the excitment but unbeaten Dominican WBO 130-pound champ also called him out that night as did Cuban trash talker Joel Casamayor. Guzman is co-promoted by Oscar de la Hoya and Sycuan while Casamayor just joined the GBP fold.
I’m perplexed about Pacman’s newfound interest in Valero.
Valero is a meaningless opponent in the American market. When he was an up and coming Golden Boy fighter he failed medical tests in New York because of what he says was a head injury from an old motorcycle accident back in Venezuela. So he started fighting in Japan and elsewhere.
HBO obviously has great influence in who Manny?s next opponent will be and I can?t Mark Taffet jumping up and down with excitement over this matchup. Not only does Valero have a low public profile in the USA, you lose most of the Mexican market (on both sides of the border) with the Venezolano as the guy in the opposite corner against Pacquiao. And Taffet?s lack of enthusiasm would be echoed, I believe, by Ross Greenberg, HBO Sports? president.
Pacman-Valero would sell plenty of high-priced tickets in Macau and Valero?s lead promoter, Teiken of Tokyo (Akihiko Honda), would bring some Japanese ?whales? over to Macau to fill up the high roller gambling tables. But Valero loses something in translation in Las Vegas. Besides the fact the Nevada commission won’t be handing him a license any time soon.
As a fight, this would be a short subject because, although he has dynamite power, Valero swings like a rusty gate and the best thing you can say about his defense is he has none. Unless you want to call leading with your face a novel defense.
It should be noted that both Top Rank and GBP have warm relationships with Valero promoter, Honda-San. And, if I’m not mistake, Golden Daddy Joel de la Hoya has a managerial interest in “El Inca.”
And, while I?m at it, what about that Dec. 15 Valero versus Pushover bout the WBC is supporting for charity in Cancun? Would Valero take a risk and fight 10 days before Christmas for peanuts if he had a solid chance to face Pacman on March 1.
Pacquiao is playing some sort of game on this one. I?m trying to read the tea leaves but my cup is extremely murky.
As for now, Megamanny?s sudden vocal support for Valero leaves me confusiado. As boxing manager Jose Nunez (Gyzman’s guy) would put it, why is Manny being so, so drasmastic?
I don?t know, do you? Pacquiao is peddling a guy he labeled a tricycle driver as his next opponent.
