AN A-LIST set of boxing officials has been appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to officiate the slam-bang rematch dubbed “The Battle” between Filipino icon Manny Paquiao and his Mexican nemesis Erik “El Terrible” Morales on January 21 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The third man on the ring will be Kenny Bayless of Nevada, best known for handling the Bernard Hopkins-Oscar De La Hoya superfight in 2002. Bayless also officiated the Randy Suico-Juan Carlos Garcia fight in the same year in Las Vegas.
The judges are Dave Moretti, Jerry Roth and Paul Smith, all of the Nevada commission.
In the undercard’s World Boxing Association super flyweight showdown between champion Martin Castillo and Alexander Munoz, Hall of Famer Richard Steele, also of Nevada, will call the shots. The judges are Glen Feldman of Connecticut, and Dick Houck and Dalby Shirley of Nevada.
Meanwhile, Jimrex Jaca, the country’s super-featherweight champ and the lone Filipino seeing action in the undercard, yesterday found a ray of hope in his quest to secure a US visa.
Jaca is expected to get his visa on his return to the United States Embassy today. The Wakee Salud prot?g? is scheduled to leave for the US with his manager this Friday.
