John David Jackson, trainer of triple belted world lightweight champion Nate ?Galaxxy Warrior? Campell and a former world junior middleweight champion in his own right, has revealed to Boxingconfidential.com that a Campbell-Manny Pacquiao autumn bout is being heavily discussed.
Jackson, a southpaw slickster who made six successful defense of a 154-pound belt back in the day, even gave specifics when I spoke to him as he drove from his Pembroke Pines, Fl., home north to Jacksonville.
This Saturday, Jackson and his wife will be honored guests at champ Campbell?s wedding. The trainer playfully said he is demanding two cakes for the reception.
?I am turning 45 on Saturday so I need my own cake,? Jackson said. ?I saw some lady on TV talking about how 50 is the new 30 but, if you?re 50, then you?re 50. You can?t stop (getting older) so you accept it.?
The crafty trainer said that Campbell disclosed to him that Pacman promoter Bob Arum has made a tentative offer of a $3 million purse so that the Pinoy idol, who is hoping to capture David Diaz?s WBC crown June 28, can unify all four major belts before year?s end.
?We talked about it, yeah,? Jackson said. ?I told Nate he?d be a fool not to take that. Pacquiao is tailor made in style for Nate. Freddie (Roach) isn?t suddenly going to try to make Manny be evasive. Manny just has one style, coming forward and throwing bombs.
?I?d tell Nate, ?Let him to come to you.? Another factor is that I don?t Pacquiao be as strong at 135 pounds as he was in lower weights. Nate probably has one or more two bouts at 135 and then he?ll settle in at 140 pounds. Nate walks around at 145-150 pounds so you know he?s stronger than Pacquiao.?
Golden Boy asked WBO leader Paco Valcarcel to set a date for a purse bid for a Campbell-Joel Casamayor title bout. Casamayor is the WBO?s interim champ and unbeaten Joan Guzman will momentarily be installed as the WBO?s #1 lightweight contender.
Meanwhile, it?s no secret that Golden Boy prefers to keep things in house by staging a Casamyor-Juan Diaz fight.
The forthright Jackson sees problems all around these matchups.
?Nate went so far as to say he would split the purse 50-50 with Casamayor,? Jackson said. ?I don?t think Casmayor will get enough money from a purse bid to make him take a fight with Nate now. And the problem in making Casamyor-Diaz is that Juan Diaz wants all the money. Juan Diaz says that he is the draw, not Casamayor.?
Jackson also opined that ?Baby Bull? Diaz, bloodied and beaten in a Mexican bull ring by Campbell, will not be the same fighter he was before that defeat.
?He?s young so I see him coming back,? Jackson said. ?But Nate shattered the myth on Juan Diaz and he will never be the same fighter they said he was. Juan got knocked down a few pegs by Nate and no one is afraid of him anymore.?
