International Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to leave for New York in the first week of January with business manager Rod Nazario to negotiate with HBO for a $1 million title fight against reigning World Boxing Association/IBF featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.
Marquez, according to Top Rank president Bob Arum claims, is ?the best featherweight in the world today? and a fighter Marco Antonio Barrera ?avoided for years.?
Pacquiao told Viva Sports that he and Nazario would join US promoter Murad Muhammad in the discussions with HBO since he wanted to be involved in the negotiations, which Murad had promised in the past but never fulfilled.
