Internationally known promoter Murad Muhammad says featherweight ?People?s Champion? Manny Pacquiao ?will definitely fight this year? stressing that he has pulled off miracles in the past and can do it again.
In a lengthy overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Murad said he already has a top class opponent lined up but didn’t wish to reveal his identity just yet so nobody blocks it. Murad said ?everybody in the US loves Manny and they want to see him fight. That includes HBO? whose top executives are also working on an opponent for Pacquiao and ?may even have something better.?
Murad also disclosed that November 6 was ?not a good date? because most of the best venues in Las Vegas as well as the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Cow Palace in San Francisco were not available and the fight may be a few weeks later. He wanted Pacquiao to fly to Los Angeles as planned on September 8 to begin serious training at the Wild Card Gym under ace trainer Freddie Roach.
Murad, who was clearly double-crossed by Top Rank Inc., president Bob Arum who first undercut the planned rematch between Pacquiao and legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera and then, after verbally agreeing to give the Filipino southpaw a crack at super featherweight champion Erik Morales, turned around and did a deal with Golden Boy Promotions for a third encounter between Morales and Barrera said ?no way I will call and then change my mind. Its unheard of.? Murad noted that Arum once said ? I lied yesterday but I?m telling the truth today.?
Murad revealed that when he inked the Paqcquiao fight with WBA/IBF featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, Arum had agreed to a Pacquiao-Morales battle on June 30 with Murad willing to pay Morales $3.5 million so Arum ?wouldn?t say no.? He said Arum expected Marquez to beat Pacquiao so ?he will be big? but that didn?t happen because Pacquiao won the fight although a scoring mistake by one judge deprived him of victory. Murad said he ?couldn?t push for the June date because Manny injured his hand and needed to rest it. We didn?t know when he would be one hundred percent.? When Pacquiao ?got better? Murad said he worked on the November 27 date and discussed a rematch with Marquez to whom he offered $1 million but disclosed that ?he doesn?t want to fight Manny.?
Since Marquez backed off, Murad spoke to Richard Schaeffer of Golden Boy Promotions about a Barrera rematch which Schaeffer welcomed saying ?that?s great,? because Barrera ?wants revenge? for the November 15 eleventh round annihilation in San Antonio, Texas. But Barrera turned down the rematch saying he ?doesn?t want to fight Pacquiao at this time.? Apparently, initial negotiations for a Morales-Barrera III ?broke down? according to Murad because Arum wanted a 60-40 deal. It was then that he spoke to Murad about a clash with Morales Since Oscar De La Hoya had been given the November 27 date, HBO offered them November 6. But it won?t happen because Barrera and Arum came to terms on a deciding rubber match with Morales. All Murad could say was ?it?s God?s will? that the Pacquiao-Morales fight didn?t push through.
