GL: Congrats on Manny’s big win Gary. “It was a tremendous win. It was a little nerve racking for the first five rounds, but then Manny took Freddie Roach’s direction, implemented the game plan and the rest is history. I had predicted to every reporter in Las Vegas that Manny was going to score a knockout, I said eighth round, it came in the tenth round, but to all the reporters credit they came over to me and said I was right. What a start to 2006!
GL: What do you think his stoppage victories over Barrera and Morales do for Manny Pacquiao in terms of stature?
Gary Shaw: “I believe that he is now a superstar. He will definitely be after millions of people see him on the delayed broadcast on Saturday night. Manny proved everything he said. He said the gloves were controversial last time, he said the promotion was in controversy last time and if he would have lost he would have lost to the better man. He proved that he’s a warrior and a superstar. But this fight was great for boxing, besides it being good for Manny, it was great for boxing.”
GL: Most, including myself consider Manny a natural featherweight. Will he continue to campaign at 130?
GS: “For right now I believe he’s going to campaign at 130. He is for sure a natural 126 pounder, there’s no question about that but he came in at the weigh-in at 128 and change, but right now he’s going to stay at 130.”
GL: You have a close relationship with Showtime. Pacquiao has been featured on HBO but doesn’t have an HBO deal; will Pacquiao continue to fight on HBO?
GS: “He’s always appeared on HBO and I believe he’ll stay an HBO fighter. I have no reason to bring him across the street. Shelly Finkel, Nick Khan and Keith Davidson make up the management and I act at their discretion. If they told me to go across the street, I’d have no choice but to go across the street. I don’t see that happening. He’s been an HBO, he’s going to be an HBO fighter and I don’t think Ross Greenburg has anything to worry about.”
GL: When can we expect Pacquiao to return and who are some of the guys you’d like to see him in there with later this year?
GS: “Obviously I’d like to see him in there with Barrera. I’d like to see him with Marquez and I have another thought, I’d love to speak with Shelly about, but I would love to do a fight with him in the Philippines. Can you imagine HBO going to the Philippines and doing a Manny fight there? It would be ultra-spectacular. But Shelly Finkel and the management will play an important role in where we go from here. And we can’t forget that Erik Morales has his rematch clause and it’s up to Top Rank and Morales to implement the rematch clause.”
GL: Do they have a time limit on exercising that option?
GS: “Good question. I don’t know, I was going to speak with Shelly about that myself to see how long they have.”
GL: On TV Morales said he needed a vacation and he looked like someone that needed a vacation.
GS: “When I got in the ring and I looked over and saw his face, he had lumps on top of his head on the bottom, his cheekbones, I believe his nose was broken and he took an awful beating. He’s been in a number of wars and for his safety and well being, I hope they take a good long rest.”
GL: Do you think the Barrera people are going to want to make that rematch?
GS: “I think so because it’s the single biggest fight for Barrera out there. There’s no bigger fight for Marco Antonio Barrera than Manny Pacquiao.”
GL: Since the last time we spoke on the record, Rolando Reyes was officially named as Diego Corrales replacement to face Jose Luis Castillo on February 4. Does he have a chance?
GS: “Absolutely. I believe Castillo is going to take him very, very, lightly and I think people are going to be very surprised when they see the problems he’s going to present. Anybody who fights him is not going to have a walk in the park.”
GL: I spoke with Diego next week and he mentioned Michelle’s pregnancy as a concern regarding when he would be training. Have there been any updates on the rescheduling of the rubber match?
GS: “Obviously it has to be on hold until after Feb 4 so we see how Castillo gets out of the ring. I think the two operative dates are April and June. May is out because of Michelle’s pregnancy. We’re looking at April and June and April is going to depend on how Corrales feels with the injury and how Castillo gets out of the February 4 bout.”
GL: You’re predicting a Lacy KO for March 4, are you hoping that prediction is accurate as the one you made for Pacquiao-Morales II?
GS: “I’ve always said that Jeff Lacy knocks Calzaghe out. There’s nothing out there that’s going to make me change my mind. You know how exciting Jeff is and how much pressure he puts on a fighter. I respect Calzaghe and his record speaks for itself, he’s been a great champion for a number of years, he’s a southpaw but as strongly as I feel about Pacquiao knocking out Morales, that’s how I feel about Lacy knocking out Calzaghe.”
