LOS ANGELES, California: If plans do not miscarry, the highly anticipated rematch between Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao and World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Erik Morales will be on January 21, 2006, an Internet report said Monday.
Pacquiao disclosed the rematch with Morales was a virtually “done deal” and that a third and expectedly lucrative fight with the Mexican hitman will be staged in the event the Filipino emerges victorious on September 10 against Hector Velazquez.
Pacquiao stands to receive $1.75 million in the rematch, the report said.
Although “PacMan” said he was not looking past Velazquez, “I must admit that I really want to get another shot at Morales. But if I can’t win this fight against Velazquez, a rematch is not going to happen.”
Against Velazquez this weekend, Pacquiao will earn $750,000—a big payday for somebody who suffered a loss in his last outing.
And to make sure he would be armed and ready for his return bout with Morales, who crafted a well-earned unanimous decision win when the first met on March 19, Pacquiao said he would stay in the United States to work out more during the Christmas season.
“I would only spend a week or two in the Philippines, most probably the week during my birthday because I am planning to give away Christmas gifts to the poor people of General Santos just like what I did last year,” said Pacquiao, who is turning 27 on December 17.
Pacquiao said his new promoter Gary Shaw, manager Shelly Finkel, chief trainer Freddie Roach and Australian conditioning coach Justine Fortune are planning to come over to the Philippines and join him in the gift-giving rites.
After his September 10 match, Pacquiao plans to return here in the first week of October to watch his brother Bobby slug it out with the wild-swinging Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez of El Salvador in the undercard of the Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo world lightweight title rematch at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
After this, Pacquiao would probably begin training at the Wild Card before flying back to Manila with his American management team.
