BOXING PROMOTER Murad Muhammad arrived here yesterday bringing reassurance that Manny Pacquiao?s megabuck non-title fight with Guyanian Gairy St. Clair or Thai Fahsang 3K Battery is a ?done deal? and will be held Dec. 4 possibly at the Araneta Coliseum.
Muhammad came from Los Angeles with Pacquiao?s business manager Rod Nazario and his wife, Supreme Court Justice Minita Chico-Nazario.
Pacquiao is coming over to Manila from General Santos City tomorrow morning to reunite with Nazario and Muhammad. Pacquiao left for Los Angeles on Sept. 8 with Nazario, but returned to Manila on Oct. 4 owing to the inability of Muhammad to assure the Ring magazine featherweight king of something concrete.
“This is a done deal and I came here to meet with Manny (Pacquiao) and the people helping us out to stage this fight. Within the week, we are going to make a formal announcement,” Muhammad said from his hotel suite.
Matchmaker Marco Furia, who works for the New Jersey-based Muhammad, has been given the task to search for an opponent for Pacquiao, ace Australian boxing writer Ray Wheatley told the Bulletin yesterday.
It was earlier reported that Pacquiao would be receiving $500,000 (R28 million), but might opt for a lower purse considering the current economic situation.
St. Clair sports a 35-3-2 win-loss-draw card with 15 knockouts, while Fahsang sports 43-7 slate with 23 knockouts. All of the Thai?s defeats were on points, a testament to his reputation for enduring punishment.
Fahsang and Pacquiao had actually locked horns in September 2002 when they figured in a three-round exhibition match in Guam.
Pacquiao hasn?t seen action since being held to a 12-round split draw by Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on May 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and is in dire need of a tuneup bout considering that he is penciled to figure in a rematch with Marquez or a shot at Erik Morales, assuming of course, Morales staves off the challenge of Marco Antonio Barrera on Nov. 27.
In the event a contract is finalized for a December fight, expect Pacquiao to head back to the Wild Card Boxing Club of Freddie Roach before the end of the month.
Pacquiao said he?s been jogging every morning, but not yet engaging in sparring.
On October 25, Pacquiao is scheduled to clash with Gandy Valle in the Motolite 9-Ball Open. Pacquiao is seeded 54th, while Valle is 11th.
