IBF junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao isn’t prepared to give up his 122 pound title just yet, although the IBF had ordered a purse bidding on January 16 and has said that if Pacquiao ignores the purse bid he will be stripped of his title.
IBF president Marian Muhammad has stated that in case Pacquiao’s handlers don’t join the purse bid she would order a title fight between top rated Jose Luis Valbuena and Pacquiao’s sparring partner Israel Vasquez who, according to trainer Freddie Roach, fights like Marco Antonio Barrera.
Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario who has been hospitalized with a stone in his kidney and may undergo surgery today said the FBI raid on the Top Rank headquarters of Bob Arum had put their discussions of a featherweight fight against Paulie Ayala or WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez on hold. Pacquiao and Nazario were originally scheduled to fly to New York on January 15 for talks with promoter Murad Muhammad, HBO officials and Arum about late May or early June fight for Pacquiao.
