Plan B is to get a nontitle fight, if it means getting Manny Pacquiao back in shape.
According to boxing analyst Moy Lainez, a veteran member of Team Pacquiao, the General Santos southpaw will be scheduled for a Manila-hosted bout, even without a major championship on the line.
?If we don?t get word from the promoters in the US within the next week or two, baka isabak muna namin si Manny sa isang nontitle [fight] para hindi naman s?ya mabakante ng matagal,? Lainez said.
Pacquiao?s possible opponents, Lainez said, could either be World Boxing Orgnization featherweight champion Scott Harrison of Scotland or the undefeated Chris John of Indonesia, the current World Boxing Association 126-lb king.
Pacquiao?s marketing draw has risen exponentially after his impressive outings against a couple of Mexican fighters and has made it possible for the former super-bantamweight champion to attract marquee rivals from across the globe.
But Lainez believes Pacquiao?s image as a world-class fighter has also enticed local corporate sponsors to back a possible hosting of a nontitle event in Manila.
Lainez said that none from Team Pacquiao has received any definite word from Murad Muhammad, Pacquiao?s US-based promoter.
?Since wala pang naka-set,? Lainez added, ?Manny is now just enjoying the fruits of what he has worked for.?
Pacquiao had just recently put up a house near the Wild Card Gym in Para?aque. He flew to Thailand twice over the last month, first, to take a vacation with his family and second, to film an episode of a reality-television show.
Pacquiao is also spending his leisure playing pool and attending fighting cock derbies.
The matchup originally lined up for Pacquiao was an immediate rematch with Mexican dual champion Juan Manuel Marquez. But because issues on venue preferences stalled negotiations, Team Pacquiao veered their interest to another Latino fighter in Marco Antonio Barrera.
Because Barrera is coming off a bout last month, his camp is biding its time, however, to give Barrera much-needed rest. It also wants to see what financial compensation can be settled that will be fair for both sides.
Even without a title on the line, a fight headlining Pacquiao will translate to a blockbuster bout, especially with the resumes of Harrison and John.
