IN THE thick of the long-distance conversation between the Hispanic boxing man and the caller from Manila, a disturbing question was raised by the party who was attending to official matters in the Caribbean in relation to a super fight involving Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.
“How is Manny doing in his training?” asked Top Rank publicist Ricardo Jimenez yesterday morning from the scenic capital of San Juan where he’s keenly awaiting the arrival there of his boss Bob Arum and fellow PR expert Lee Samuels to drum up more interest for the Nov. 11 duel at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Jimenez was told that based on reports from Cebu — where Pacquiao has been sweating it out the past few weeks — the 28-year-old GenSan hitter is apparently doing well and supposedly right on track.
“He better train well because Barrera is doing great and is he really after this fight,” said Jimenez, obviously aware of the recent developments that have been hounding the preparations of the Filipino southpaw for the Oct. 6 rematch at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Barrera, a huge underdog unlike the first time he faced Pacquiao some years back in San Antonio, Texas, has vowed to prove his detractors wrong.
Jimenez said the public’s belief that Barrera will fail to avenge the 11thround knockout loss and his glowing track record of rebounding from a lackluster performance are reasons why he can’t be counted out.
“When everyone thought that he was down and out, he came up with a big win over Erik Morales (in November 2004). Barrera has done it and he is capable of doing it again.”
If Pacquiao thinks that all he has to do to win is show up on fight night, he will be in for a rough night, stressed Jimenez.
“That’s what making him train and prepare well for this fight,” said Jimenez. “Barrera is still a dangerous fighter,” added Jimenez, whose promotional company is joining hands with Oscar Dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions in putting up one of the year’s most-awaited matchups.
Jimenez, an institution in boxing reportage and publicity as well, used to work in a newspaper in Los Angeles before he decided to try his hand at the Las Vegas-based Top Rank to become a part of the promotional outfit’s one-two punch alongside Samuels.
Last June in New York, Jimenez and Samuels received a special award from the Boxing Writers Association of America for their unequaled rapport with boxing people.
“He (Jimenez) is very close with the Hispanic fighters,” Arum once said in an interview.
Jimenez, who now lives in Los Angeles, regularly served as Morales’ translator in media events.
