Perhaps except for the venue, everything seems to be falling into place for a Manny Pacquiao-Edwin Valero fight on Nov. 8.
While Houston in Texas emerged as the possible site, Top Rank?s Bob Arum is still pushing hard for the fight to take place in Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world.
A report that came out of Mexican newspaper Esto said the fight between the two explosive boxers would be held in Houston where Pacquiao has never fought before.
Right after Pacquiao demolished David Diaz last week in Vegas, Arum was already talking about Valero, saying the other camp, including the manager, Akihiko Honda, ?are ?gonna do it.?
?The chosen city is Houston, given its enormous Filipino population and the fact that Texas is the only state in the United States which gave a license to Valero,? the report said.
Valero was banned from fighting in the US after failing a medical due to a skull fracture, which he sustained during a motorcycle accident in February of 2001.
Although he was recently cleared to fight in Texas, Arum, Pacquiao?s promoter, is working for the same clearance from Nevada officials so the fight can take place in Vegas.
Arum?s efforts, however, might go for naught because even if Valero, the Venezuelan knockout artist, is cleared to fight in Nevada, there might be no available venue for the fight.
The Las Vegas Review Journal said Arum has accused officials of the MGM Mirage of ?conspiring with (Top Rank?s) rival promoter Golden Boy? to keep the fight out of Sin City.
Arum was reportedly looking at Mandalay Bay, where Pacquiao has won his last three fights, as the venue to hold the Nov. 8 showdown for the Filipino?s WBC lightweight crown.
The legendary promoter, however, was told that the venue would not be available because of two big promotions scheduled so close to Nov. 8.
One is the Nov. 22 jr. welterweight showdown between Ricky Hatton and Paul Malignaggi, and then the Dec. 6 farewell fight of Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand.
?That?s a disgrace,? Arum was quoted as saying. ?If they do this, Top Rank will never do another deal with MGM properties again.?
Arum, the report added, claimed that Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, ?threatened to pull the De La Hoya fight from the MGM if it allowed Arum to have his card at Mandalay Bay.?
?It?s extortion,? Arum also said in the report. ?(Schaefer) is using the De La Hoya fight to keep us out.?
?Bob has to be very careful making those kinds of accusations. He should think before he talks. What he?s saying is ridiculous. We already agreed that Oscar would fight at the MGM Dec. 6. The deal has been in place for some time. He knows that. We?ve also had the Nov. 22 date for quite a while. He knows that, too,? was Schaeffer?s reply.
