LOS ANGELES, California — For Manny Pacquiao, the most important day in 2006 would be Jan. 21.
This is the day Pacquiao will get his chance for redemption and revenge as he meets Erik Morales in a rematch of their slambang March 2005 slugfest at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
That meeting is, of course, dependent on the result of his Sept. 10 fight against Mexico’s Hector Velazquez.
“I am not looking past Velazquez although I must admit that I really want to get another shot at Morales,” said Pacquiao. “But if I can’t win this fight against Velazquez, a rematch is not going to happen.”
Pacquiao bared that the rematch with Morales is virtually a done deal and that a third and expectedly lucrative fight with the Mexican hitman will be staged in the event the Filipino emerges victorious in January.
Just like in their first showdown that ended with Morales running away with a 12-round unanimous decision before a big crowd and a terrific PPV audience, Pacquiao stands to receive $1.750 million in the rematch.
Against Velazquez this weekend, Pacquiao will earn $750,000, a big payday for somebody who suffered a loss in his last outing.
In preparation for another tough outing against the battle-scarred Morales, Pacquiao said he is willing to spend the Yuletide season working out a sweat in Hollywood in exchange for the fun of Manila during this time of year.
“I would only spend a week or two in the Philippines, most probably the week during my birthday because I am planning to give away Christmas gifts to the poor people of General Santos just like what I did last year,” said Pacquiao, who is turning 27 on Dec. 17.
Pacquiao said his new promoter Gary Shaw, manager Shelly Finkel, chief trainer Freddie Roach and Australian conditioning coach Justine Fortune are planning to come over to the Philippines and join him in the gift-giving rites.
Pacquiao plans to return here in the first week of October to watch his brother Bobby slug it out with the wild-swinging Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez of El Salvador in a fight underneath the Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo world lightweight rematch at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
After this, Pacquiao would probably begin training at the Wild Card before flying back to Manila with his American management team.
