ALTHOUGH Freddie Roach is in town ostensibly to prepare Manny Pacquiao for his fight against Thailand?s Fahsan 3K Battery, both the American trainer and the Filipino boxer know they have much, much bigger fish to fry.
For one, there?s Juan Manuel Marquez, the reigning World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation featherweight champion, with whom Pacquiao has a $1.8-million rematch on February 26.
And should he hurdle 3K Battery and Marquez under Roach?s watchful eye, Rod Nazario, the Filipino pug?s business manager, said on Monday that he is eyeing a match with Eric Morales, the World Boxing Council super featherweight kingpin, or a return bout with Marco Antonio Barrera.
The potential payday for his boy: $1.75 million (P100 million).
Indeed, Nazario is only too relieved that Roach, who arrived on Monday, is around to begin whipping the boxer into shape.
?I?m glad that Roach is around. Marquez has already started training seriously while Manny has barely even begun. At least now we can get somewhere,? Nazario said on Tuesday at the Philippine Sportswriters? Association Forum at the Manila Pavilion.
?Manny has a lot of respect for Roach. Nahihiya siya roon [He?s cautious with him], which is a good thing since our boy can now focus on his training not only for Fahsan 3K Battery, but also for Marquez,? Nazario added.
He added that Roach considers Pacquiao his ?prized? fighter, which is why the trainer flew all the way from the United States to the Philippines for the first time to oversee the boxer?s conditioning because of the high stakes involved.
?If we get past Fahsan and Marquez, then our next opponent might be Morales or Barrera,? Nazario said.
?Then I?ll be asking $1.75 million [roughly P100 million] for Pacquiao. I don?t know if I?ll get it, but that?s what I want for him,? added Nazario, who disclosed that his ward would split the $1.8-million purse with Marquez in their rematch.
For his tuneup 12-rounder against Fahsan on December 11 at The Fort in Taguig City billed as the ?Yanig sa Taguig,? he said, ?PacMan? would be getting $300,000 (P17 million) while the Thai would be receiving $25,000.
in the card bankrolled by Smart and Solar Sports.
Despite reports that Pacquiao was loafing around and is underestimating the Thai, Nazario said: ?I don?t think that he is taking Fahsan lightly. He knows that when he beats the Thai, he will be the boxing superstar of Asia. More big money fights will be in store for him.?
He said he had not talked to Roach since he left for Davao, but was able to talk to Pacquiao early Tuesday from their training camp there.
?Manny told me that he was in condition, and I believe him. When he says he?s training, then he?s really training. I have confidence in our boy.?
And just to make certain everything is on the right track, Nazario said Roach and Pacquiao will be back in Manila on Monday to resume their buildup at his own Wild Card Gym in Para?aque City and stay there until the December 11 bout.
Once the Christmas holidays are over, he added, Pacquiao will pack his bags in the first week of January and return to the US and buckle down to work for his return bout with Marquez.
Despite knocking the Mexican down thrice in the first round, Pacquiao?s May 9 fight against Marquez wound up a controversial draw.
