CEBU CITY ? If he could have his way, Manny Pacquiao would love to have his next fight in the Queen City of the South.
Deeply touched by the affection shown by the Cebuanos, Pacquiao said he would ask his American handlers to allow him to fight here in August or September.
“It?s going to be just a non?title fight,” Pacquiao told the Bulletin while relaxing at his rooster farm in General Santos City. “Siguro naman papayagan nila ako lalo na kapag sinabi ko sa kanila kung paano ako tinanggap ng mga tao doon.”
Pacquiao, who filed a lawsuit against US promoter Murad Muhammad in New York on Wednesday, was here recently and witnessed Randy Suico?s successful defense of the Orient-Pacific Boxing Federation super-feather diadem.
Everywhere Pacquiao went, he was followed by Cebuano fans.
He was mobbed by supporters in Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Cebu City during his hectic 20-hour visit made possible by local promoter Wakee Salud, who, Pacquiao said will help him out in staging the non-title bout against a Mexican.
“During Manny?s visit here, we talked about the possibility of him fighting in Cebu City,” said Salud, who is targeting the soon-to-be-finished South Reclamation Project as venue.
“With the help of the city government of Cebu led by mayor Tommy Osme?a, this could be done. The mayor was elated when Manny made a courtesy call to him,” added Salud.
Pacquiao?s lone fight in Cebu took place in 1997 when he was still a skinny flyweight making a defense of his Philippine crown against Melvin Magramo and the Ring magazine featherweight champion revealed to Cebuanos that his father, Rosalio, was from the tiny town of Pinamungahan in southwestern Cebu.
“I am a Cebuano, too, and I would like to fight in front of my fans here,” added Pacquiao in fluent Cebuano.
Salud said there?s no sense in bringing over an Asian fighter to face Pacquiao because “Manny would be too strong and classy for even the best prospect in the Orient.”
“For a change, we would like to import a tough Mexican because Cebuanos know their boxing and it would be a shame if we bring in an ice cream vendor or a trash collector to face one of the world?s feared fighters,” added Salud.
Pacquiao is all set to make a return trip here next week to attend a big-time derby that Salud is hosting.
