MANILA, Philippines ? Bob Arum is going to visit the country sometime next month to check on the progress of Manny Pacquiao?s preparation for his much-awaited November 13 clash with Antonio Margarito in Dallas.
The Hall of Fame promoter told the Bulletin that by the time he sees Pacquiao in Baguio City, the pound-for-pound king would have surely been in the thick of training under Freddie Roach.
Arum, however, has one fervent wish.
?I just hope that there won?t be a typhoon when I am there,? said Arum.
Arum spent a few days in the country last year as Pacquiao was preparing for Miguel Cotto and he had to be evacuated from the City of Pines while a storm was brewing so he could catch his return flight to the US.
Top Rank, the promotional outfit that Arum owns and operates, is staging a big show Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines) and the 79-year-old New York-born, Harvard-educated lawyer, will be at ringside after a two-week absence owing to a personal tragedy.
?That?s life,? said Arum, his voice now sounding more upbeat following the tragic death of his son John Arum last week in the mountains of Washington.
While the Pacquiao-Margarito match is a little over two months from now, Arum just can?t wait to see it happen.
Citing Pacquiao?s enormous appeal and Margarito?s fanbase in the Dallas area, Arum expects the Cowboys Stadium to be filled to capacity.
Although the Jerry Jones-owned venue can accommodate as much as 100,000, it will be reconfigured to 70,000 and Arum expects not one single seat to be vacant come fight night.
