FROM HOLLYWOOD, Bobby Pacquiao, brother of featherweight king Manny, makes his debut Friday night (Saturday morning in Manila) when he collides with Oscar Villa-Arrieta of Mexico at the Quiet Cannon Banquet in the city of Montebello just minutes from the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles.
Bobby has been training at the Wild Card Boxing Club of Freddie Roach the last two months and is using the Arrieta bout as tuneup for his mandatory defense of the Philippine super-featherweight crown against Dexter “Dinamita” Delada of the Wakee Salud Stable of Cebu on Dec. 11 at The Fort in Taguig.
Bobby is heavily favored to knock his foe senseless although his trainer Buboy Fernandez is not taking any chances.
Reporting from the Wild Card after another workout, Fernandez said the 27-year-old Bobby wants to take out the Mexican at the soonest possible time to avoid any injury that would force the cancellation of the Delada defense.
“We should be wary of any injuries like cuts so Bobby will not waste time in finishing the fight,” said Fernandez, who left the country on Sept. 8 with boxing man Rod Nazario, Manny and another boxer, Cebu-based super-fly Z Gorres.
Nazario, Manny and Gorres have already returned.
Fernandez and Bobby are scheduled to arrive back in Manila on Monday or Tuesday on board a Philippine Airlines jet from Los Angeles.
Their trip and stint at Roach?s famed sweat shop was bankrolled by Nazario.
