MANNY PACQUIAO doesn?t want to settle for crumbs. After three marquee names decided to back off from a showdown with the Filipino knockout king, the camp of Pacquiao would like to know if it is possible that Scott Harrision of Scotland, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight titlist be tapped to battle the GenSan southpaw in November.
Pacquiao?s business manager, Rod Nazario, is scheduled to hold talks with promoter Murad Muhammad and probably with HBO boxing executives in New York within the next two weeks to discuss the mechanics of a Pacquiao fight. They are leaving tomorrow evening for Los Angeles via Philippine Airlines.
?If possible, I would like to see a fight between Manny (Pacquiao) and Scott Harrison,? said Nazario during the sendoff party for Pacquiao on Sunday afternoon at the first-class Wild Card Gym on Presidents Ave. in BF Homes, Paranaque.
Harrison, 27, is an attractive foe for Pacquiao as he holds a respectable winloss card of 21-2-1 with 11 knockouts. A native of Glasgow, Harrison is scheduled to defend his title in late-October at the Braehead Arena, but an opponent has yet to be selected.
Harrison?s name cropped up after efforts to stage a rematch between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez failed. Marquez and Pacquiao fought to an action-packed 12-round split draw on May 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
When Marquez opted to face a harmless challenger in Orlando Salido on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins-Oscar dela Hoya world middleweight faceoff on September 18, Pacquiao expressed its desire to lock horns with Marco Antonio Barrera, who protested that the first time he fought Pacquiao, he was not mentally prepared owing to the distractions weeks before the fight.
But when Pacquiao told Barrera that he was ready to give him a rematch anytime and anywhere, Barrera turned mute.
With Marquez and Barrera out of the picture, Pacquiao trained his sights on Erik Morales, who reigns as the World Boxing Council super-featherweight king. Pacquiao said he would not mind moving up in weight to square off with Morales.
Morales then agreed to take on Pacquiao, but before the two could sign above the dotted line, Morales? promoter, the influential Bob Arum, announced he had already forged a deal pitting Morales against Barrera on November 27 at the MGM Grand.
There were plans to arrange a Pacquiao fight against WBC champion Injin Chi of Korea or World Boxing Association ruler Chris John of Indonesia, but since the two don?t have the drawing power of the Marquez, Barrera and Morales, Team Pacquiao decided to focus its sights on the fancied Harrison.
