MANILA, Philippines ? Even though the handwriting is on the wall, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is not about to make an official announcement on the choice of opponent, date and place for the next Manny Pacquiao fight.
Not yet, but pretty soon.
?I have yet to meet Manny and even if he decides on whom to fight, I would still have to go back to the fighter that he chooses (to fight) before making an announcement,? said Arum upon his arrival on Tuesday.
Still, Arum is confident a deal will be in place before the end of the year.
Arum will be in the country until Sunday as he will lead the marquee names who will be in attendance when Pacquiao marks his 32nd birthday this Friday in General Santos City.
Leading the cast of aspirants is American puncher Shane Mosley, who told the online edition of TMZ that he ?is the next one in line.?
Mosley had actually began holding exploratory talks with Top Rank and Team Pacquiao even before the Filipino star had beaten up Antonio Margarito last month in Texas.
Arum has reserved the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for April 16, 2011.
Apart from the offer sheet from Mosley, Arum will also present to Pacquiao the proposals from the two other aspirants: Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and American Andre Berto.
Marquez, who gave Pacquiao a taste of hell twice, and Berto have slim chances of being picked owing to Mosley?s tremendous name-recall and his good relationship with Arum.
Marquez is represented by Golden Boy Promotion, a bitter rival of Arum?s Top Rank, and while Berto is an attractive fighter owing to his unbeaten record, youth and the blend of power and speed, he has yet to capture the fancy of the casual fight fans.
