In the quiet confines of the 17th floor business center at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel last Thursday, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum spoke about his plans of developing more Filipino fighters in Manny Pacquiao?s mold.
?We talked about the possibility of co-promoting fights not only in the Philippines but also in the US and Mexico,? disclosed ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer yesterday. ?He mentioned that Mexicans are crazy over Filipino fighters. They love to watch Filipino fighters because they?re exciting. They admire Filipino fighters the way we also admire Mexican legends like Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Jorge Arce and many others.?
Aldeguer couldn?t agree more with Arum.
?I related to him how our fighters like Donnie Nietes and Z Gorres were treated like movie stars when they went to Mexico,? said Aldeguer. ?In fact, I think Nietes is more known in Mexico than in the Philippines. He told me about visiting kids in school and getting mobbed.?
Aldeguer said Arum was eager to lay down a program that will develop more Pacquiaos.
?He knew about our move to work with fighters outside of our stable,? continued Aldeguer. ?It fits with his vision of developing champions of tomorrow. They do the same in Puerto Rico and Mexico. After getting young prospects ready, they?re brought to the US for big-time fights. I mentioned that we now promote fighters like Randy Suico, who once fought Juan Diaz, and Jimrex Jaca, who once fought Juan Manuel Marquez. He agreed with our direction and encouraged us to go to the next step which is to bring fighters to the US. It?s good not only for Philippine boxing but world boxing as a whole because we know that fights between Mexicans and Filipinos create a lot of interest because of the ethnic rivalry. Manny has opened the doors for Filipino fighters to follow in his footsteps.?
