Despite the bitter conflict between promoter Murad Muhammad and trainer Freddie Roach over Manny Pacquiao?s purse in the November 15 “Clash of the Titans” against legendary featherweight Marco Antonio Barrera, it appears that Roach?s advice is being heeded and Team Pacquiao is looking at 33 year old Paulie Ayala as the Filipino southpaw?s next opponent before taking on WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao?s business manager Rod Nazario said yesterday that Ayala had entered the picture in the planned discussions with Murad and HBO executives scheduled in New York later this month. However, Nazario said he had been advised that Top Rank president Bob Arum who handles both Ayala and Marquez was on vacation and would be back only by early next week prompting Nazario to use the opportunity to undergo a medical checkup over the weekend.
Nazario said he hadn?t changed his plans to leave for New York with Pacquiao on January 15. Pacquiao himself had earlier indicated he would like to fight Ayala who is considered a bloated bantamweight. Roach had advised Pacquiao?s handlers to first fight Ayala or Johnny Tapia before taking on Marquez whom he regarded as the best featherweight today although he expressed confidence that Pacquiao would beat him.
