ASSUMING Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales survive the ambush being laid out on Sept. 10 in Los Angeles, they are destined to meet in a megabuck showdown sometime in late-January 2006.
“The site fee for the Pacquiao-Morales rematch is huge,” lawyer Keith Davidson, one of Pacquiao’s American handlers said. “It’s going to be held a week before the Super Bowl (on Feb. 5, 2006).
Davidson said Las Vegas will stage a Pacquiao-Morales II, but both fighters need to stave off their respective opponents on Sept. 10 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao and Morales co-headline the Bob Arum-promoted show with the Filipino booked to battle Hector Velazquez of Mexico, while Morales is penciled to square off with Zahir Raheem of the US. Both are set for 12 rounds, although there are no titles at stake.
Morales had beaten Pacquiao via a unanimous decision last March 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao leaves at 10 p.m. for Los Angeles via Philippine Airlines accompanied by Davidson and US-based interpreter Joe Ramos. Pacquiao will arrive there also on Sunday and he will report to the Wild Card Boxing Club of Freddie Roach in Hollywood the next day.
A press conference will be held at the Max’s Restaurant in Glendale on Thursday with Velazquez also in attendance and joined there by his chief handler, Fernando Beltran of Tijuana.
Yesterday, Pacquiao worked out at the Wild Card in Para?aque, the third day of his gym-hopping routine that he hopes would rub luck on him.
Last Thursday, he trained at the Wakee Salud in Cebu and on Friday, he reported at the L&M Gym in Sampaloc, his training camp during his early years as a professional. Watching his every move were gym rats Ramon Lainez and Gerry Garcia. Davidson and Ramos were also there.
