Manny Pacquiao?s visit to the Rio Grande Valley is on hold at least until November, said media representative Martin Lopez of Imperial ED Promotions.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts), WBO welterweight champion and recently elected congressman in his native Philippines, apparently had agreed to be a special guest for Imperial ED Promotions? fight card, originally scheduled for Saturday at Hidalgo?s State Farm Arena.
In August, when Imperial ED Promotions first announced that Pacquiao was coming to the Valley, the fight card promoters produced what they said was an appearance agreement signed by the popular fighter as proof that he would indeed attend the boxing show.
However, Lopez said Tuesday that circumstances surrounding Pacquiao?s upcoming bout Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington are preventing the Filipino fighter from attending Saturday?s show at State Farm Arena, so the event has been postponed with the hope that it can be staged at a later date with Pacquiao on hand to watch.
“Pacquiao?s promoter (from Top Rank Boxing) and his trainer (Freddie Roach) don?t want him to come down here at this time because they feel it would be a distraction as he prepares and trains for his next fight,” Lopez said. “We?re postponing the fight card tentatively until November, possibly Nov. 20, which would be the week after his fight in Dallas. A representative from Top Rank was here last Friday to talk to us about it.”
Refunds on tickets purchased for Saturday’s fight card will be available starting Monday at the State Farm Arena ticket office, a State Farm Arena employee said Tuesday.
A statement on a crawler on the arena website indicated refunds will be available until a new date for the event has been confirmed, and that tickets purchased for the September event will be valid for the rescheduled event. For more information, call the arena box office at (956) 843-6688.
Pacquiao is scheduled to face Mexican fighter Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) on Nov. 13 for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao?s last fight was March 13 at Cowboys Stadium, where he defeated Joshua Clottey on a 12-round unanimous decision.
Over the past year, there have been sporadic negotiations to set up a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. for what would certainly be one of the most anticipated boxing events of recent times.
However, negotiations to arrange that fight recently stalled and Pacquiao instead fought Clottey, and now Margarito, who defeated Roberto Garcia of Weslaco on a 10-round unanimous decision in his most recent fight on May 8 in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Roy Hess writes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him via e-mail at [email protected]
