MANNY PACQUIAO is going to square off with Mexican icon Erik Morales in a megabuck showdown on March 19 on HBO pay-per-view following the collapse of negotiations for a rematch between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez on Feb. 26, several boxing websites reported yesterday.
Las Vegas is being eyed to stage the 12-round super-featherweight clash although no exact venue has been named.
If reports that came out from maxboxing.com,espn.com and boxingtalk.net are indeed accurate, it?s going to be a big boost for Pacquiao, who just arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila).
It means that if he will fight in March, he will have bought enough time to train for this encounter unlike the one he is scheduled for next month in which many feared he will be badly undertrained. Before flying to Los Angeles, Pacquiao spent his days doing pictorials, shooting commercials and even playing billiards while his foe, Juan Manuel Marquez, is practically about to taper off from his hectic training regimen.
Pacquiao?s wife Jinkee said yesterday afternoon that his husband did not mention anything regarding the change of schedule.
“He only told me that they just went out to watch Efren ?Bata? Reyes play in a tournament,” said Jinkee.
“But when I get in touch with him tonight, I will ask him about it.”
Even Rod Nazario, Pacquiao?s business manager, was unaware of the Internet reports.
“I have no idea about those reports,” said Nazario, who brought Pacquiao to the Centennial Terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Saturday night.
One of the key factors why the talks collapsed was the demand of Marquez?s party for a $1.5-million purse as the fighter?s promotional arm, Top Rank, only promised $750,000. Being the holder of the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation featherweight titles, Marquez said he deserves much more than what?s been offered on the table.
Another reason why the Bob Arum-operated Top Rank came up with this latest move, according to one website, was to put Marco Antonio Barrera in a bind.
Barrera is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions headed by Oscar dela Hoya, who used to be a Top Rank fighter, and the plan to pit Pacquiao with Morales would only leave Barrera out in the cold without a marquee name to fight.
Dela Hoya and Arum have been at odds the last few months owing to their promotional interests.
Following his victory over Morales last year, Barrera boasted that a fourth fight with Morales is no longer his foremost concern and even hinted that Pacquiao also is not visible in his radar for his next fight although it was the Filipino who dealt him a terrible beating in November 2003 in Texas.
Morales, a future Hall of Famer, lost on points to Barrera, who thus became the new World Boxing Council super-featherweight titlist.
