IBF junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao?s planned trip to the US with business manager Rod Nazario on January 15 for talks with promoter Murad Muhammad and HBO on Pacquiao?s next fight has been put on hold following an FBI raid on Top Rank Inc, president Bob Arum?s headquarters in Las Vegas. Arum who handles Paulie Ayala and WBA/IBF featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, the two fighters being considered as Pacquiao?s next opponent, was on vacation at the time of the raid.
Pacquiao who was mobbed by a big crowd at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Friday where he shared ?Athlete of the Year? honors with World bowling champion CJ Suarez was told by Nazario that HBO hadn?t confirmed they were ready to meet in view of a corruption probe that centers on allegations that Top Rank and several of its fighters were involved in throwing fights. This included the last world title rematch between Oscar De La Hoya and Sugar Shane Mosley in which Mosley won a highly controversial decision.
