Distractions don’t deter Manny Pacquiao.
The wildly popular Filipino fighter has handled a seemingly non-stop string of managerial and promotional problems almost as easily as he has managed most opponents throughout his rise to stardom over the last few years. But the chaotic conditions surrounding Pacquiao’s pay-per-view fight against unbeaten Mexican Jorge Solis Saturday night in San Antonio are unusual even for him.
Pacquiao, the No. 2 fighter on The Ring magazine’s pound-for-pound list, hasn’t worked with trainer Freddie Roach at all during training camp. Roach made a commitment to train Oscar De La Hoya exclusively in Puerto Rico for his May 5 showdown against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., so he couldn’t commit to Pacquiao. That’s the same Pacquiao that De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions tried to sign, only to have hated rival Bob Arum become Pacquiao’s promoter.
De La Hoya tried to get an injunction to prevent the Pacquiao-Solis fight from occurring on Saturday, but failed. As of Thursday night, however, Pacquiao wasn’t certain if Roach would work his corner at The Alamodome, so De La Hoya might succeed in disrupting Pacquiao’s career in some manner.
As if that wasn’t enough to sidetrack Pacquiao, he is scheduled to face perhaps an even more imposing opponent than Solis on May 14.
That’s election day in the Philippines, where Pacquiao is running for Congress. The national hero is running against Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio, who seeks her third term as a representative of the first district of South Cotabato. The incumbent is part of a Philippine political family that hasn’t lost an election in 20 years, so even a legend like Pacquiao might have trouble winning.
Still, the spectacular southpaw believes he can help his people by fighting for them outside of the ring, too.
“Nobody told me to run,” said Pacquiao, whose boxing career has been strongly supported by many Filipino politicians. “My decision is from my heart, to help people. … They need my help because there are some politicians in my place that are always promising, and they didn’t do anything. There are a lot of people, poor people, that need help.”
Arum believes a strong Pacquiao performance Saturday night can help him in the polls. The opinionated promoter also intends to help Pacquiao campaign in the Philippines after the 12-round fight for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Council International super lightweight title.
“He has this very real, burning desire to help his people,” Arum said. “He really believes that this is the way he can make a difference.”
Antonino-Custodio thinks Pacquiao’s fight Saturday night will give him an unfair advantage in the election because it will be broadcast on free television in the Philippines, but her attempt to prevent the national telecast was denied.
American cable and satellite subscribers can watch the bout between Pacquiao (43-3-2, 34 KOs) and Solis (32-0-2, 23 KOs, 1 NC), and three other fights, for $39.95.
The televised portion of the undercard includes two 12-round world title fights. Mexico’s Cristian Mijares (30-3-2, 12 KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBC super flyweight title against always entertaining Mexican challenger Jorge Arce (46-3-1, 35 KOs). And Brian Viloria (19-1-1, 12 KOs), of Waipahu, Hawaii, will encounter Edgar Sosa (26-5, 14 KOs), of Mexico, for the vacant WBC light flyweight title.
Mexican welterweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (29-0-1, 22 KOs) will also meet Indianapolis’ Anthony Shuler (20-4-1, 14 KOs) in a televised 10-rounder.
Tarver-Muriqi match off
Representatives for Star Boxing, which promotes Antonio Tarver, informed officials at New Jersey’s State Athletic Control Board Thursday that a card that was to feature Tarver’s fight against Elvir Muriqi on April 22 in Atlantic City has been canceled.
Tarver versus Muriqi was to be broadcast by ABC on a Sunday afternoon from the ballroom inside Boardwalk Hall, but the 38-year-old Tarver withdrew for undisclosed reasons from the 12-round fight for a fringe 175-pound crown. Tarver (24-4, 18 KOs), a former undisputed light heavyweight champion, was supposed to end a 10-month layoff against the Yugoslavian-born Muriqi (34-3, 21 KOs). The Tampa, Fla., fighter hasn’t boxed since former middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins (47-4-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC) dominated him in their 12-rounder on June 10 at Boardwalk Hall.
The Tarver-Muriqi match would’ve also marked the first ABC broadcast of a live boxing match since it televised Mexican Jose Luis Castillo’s upset victory over Denver’s Stevie Johnston, then the WBC lightweight champ, on June 17, 2000.
Let’s try this again
If the Carlos Baldomir debacle taught us anything 15 months ago, it’s that we shouldn’t underestimate Zab Judah’s ability to underestimate an opponent.
But if the wildly inconsistent Judah somehow manages to lose tonight to Ruben Galvan in Tunica, Miss., he has to know that his handlers wouldn’t be able to salvage his June 9 fight against Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. Even though Baldomir’s career-changing upset victory didn’t cost Judah his shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr., a loss to Galvan (27-11-2, 10 KOs, 1 NC) could effectively end Judah’s career. The 34-year-old Galvan, of Hammond, Ind., is a light-punching junior welterweight journeyman who has beaten only five fighters with winning records during his 10-year pro career.
The 10-round welterweight bout will mark the first fight for the Brooklyn-bred Judah (34-4, 25 KOs, 1 NC) since Mayweather out-pointed him last April 8 in Las Vegas. Judah became eligible to fight in the United States again on Monday, when he finished serving a one-year suspension. The Nevada State Athletic Commission also fined him $250,000 last year for igniting a mini-melee during the 10th round of his unanimous decision defeat to Mayweather (37-0, 24 KOs), who Judah hit below the belt and behind the head with consecutive punches.
The fight against Galvan will be broadcast as the main event of an ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” telecast from Fitzgerald’s Hotel & Casino. Cotto (29-0, 24 KOs) will be the in-studio guest during the broadcast, which will start at 9 p.m. If Judah wins and isn’t injured, the fight for Cotto’s World Boxing Association 147-pound title will be officially announced at a press conference Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.
Why not Calzaghe-Kessler?
British promoter Frank Warren very publicly extended a $4 million offer this week for Jermain Taylor to fight Joe Calzaghe in September at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, where 35,000 Calzaghe-crazed fans witnessed his third-round TKO win against Peter Manfredo Jr. (26-4, 12 KOs) on Saturday.
Trying to lure Taylor overseas makes some sense now that Calzaghe has drawn more than three times as many fans to a hometown bout than Taylor. Of course, Taylor (26-0-1, 17 KOs) doesn’t need to travel to Wales to make that kind of money. After all, he made $5 million to fight Ronald “Winky” Wright on June 17 in Memphis, Tenn., where he’ll box Cory Spinks (36-3, 11 KOs) on May 19.
Worse yet, why is Warren willing to wait until September for Taylor, but not Mikkel Kessler?
Warren claimed immediately following Calzaghe’s defeat of the overmatched Manfredo that Kessler’s handlers said the WBA/WBC 168-pound champion couldn’t be ready for a unification fight against Calzaghe (43-0, 32 KOs) in July. Kessler isn’t injured, so promoter Mogens Palle’s lame timing excuse made it seem as if Kessler (39-0, 29 KOs) doesn’t really want the fight for which he has publicly pleaded. But Warren’s impetuous dismissal of Kessler as Calzaghe’s next opponent and subsequent offer for a September fight against Taylor made it look like Calzaghe didn’t want it, either.
No matter who wants what, Calzaghe-Kessler could be the biggest fight in the history of the super middleweight division, and boxing executives at HBO should make sure that it occurs next.
Reach Keith Idec at 973-569-7073 or [email protected].
