Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao said yesterday he is “ready to fight” on December 4 and has continued training in his hometown of General Santos City since his return from the US some two weeks ago after working out for one month at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao was playing basketball with a group of friends when we reached him on his mobile phone in General Santos City yesterday afternoon. Pacquiao told Viva Sports/Manila Standard that he would be coming to Manila tomorrow and is expected to meet with business manager Rod Nazario and international promoter Murad Muhammad.
Murad who arrived in Manila last Saturday at 4:30 a.m. along with Nazario told Manila Standard he would stay for a few more days which is an indication that details of the planned December 4 bout are being finalized.
Pacquiao inquired whether Murad was still in town and said he was hoping Murad could pull off another miracle since he wanted to have a tune-up fight before his February rematch with WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Viva Sports learned that HBO had already set a date for the Marquez rematch and wanted Murad to have the contract for the fight signed in order to preserve the date for Pacquiao since several other promoters/managers have been begging for an early 2005 fight date for their fighters, several of whom are listed as HBO fighters whereas Pacquiao is now.
