A MEMBER of Manny Pacquiao?s inner circle told the Bulletin that promoter Bob Arum is trying to move heaven and earth in having his boxer, Erik Morales, face Marco Antonio Barrera, instead of Barrera meeting Manny Pacquiao on a November 27 pay-per-view show.
“Barrera personally wants to meet Manny (Pacquiao),” said the insider. “But Bob Arum wants a third fight involving Morales and Barrera.”
Morales and Barrera split their first two clashes, and Arum is leaning heavily on the clamor of the Mexicans to pit the two for the third time.
However, if HBO is to be followed, the giant network wants Barrera to square off with Pacquiao in a rematch following the Filipino southpaw?s superb dismantling of the heavily-favored Mexican in November last year at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), the outfit that handles Barrera told this paper that HBO gave that date to GBP.
“We are still trying to discuss the choice of opponent for Marco,” said Schaefer, saying Pacquiao is high on that list and so does Morales and Mike Achondo.
As this developed, Pacquiao and his business manager Rod Nazario are heading to the US on September 8 so the GenSan puncher starts training at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California.
The two will be joined by Bobby Pacquiao, the younger brother of Manny and the reigning Philippine super-feather titlist and super-fly Z Gorres, who would also work out at the Wild Card.
