MANILA, Philippines ? There is a standing offer for Manny Pacquiao to bring his act to Japan or the Middle East later this year, the Filipino fighter?s Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum revealed over the weekend.
?There is a tremendous interest in Manny Pacquiao,? Arum said.
Assuming Pacquiao survives Shane Mosley in their May 7 encounter at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Arum has already trained his sights on seeing the pound-for-pound king in action sometime in November.
Tokyo and the Qatari capital of Doha have sent out feelers about hosting Pacquiao?s next fight, Arum said.
?The guys in the Middle East who are hosting the (2022) World Cup want Manny to fight there, while Tokyo also wants it,? said Arum, adding the Japanese have mentioned the Tokyo Dome as venue.
The Tokyo Dome, which can accommodate as much as 55,000, had played host to two Mike Tyson fights in March 1988 and in February 1990. Tyson stopped Tony Tubbs in his debut at the Tokyo Dome but was kayoed by James ?Buster? Douglas in ten rounds in what has been labeled as the biggest upset in the history of the sport.
The interest on Pacquiao by the Japanese could have been fueled even more after Pacquiao brought his family there during the holidays.
Over the years, Pacquiao have fought extensively in the US, having wowed crowds in Las Vegas, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Francisco and even in Memphis, Tennessee, where he saw action underneath the epic Lennox Lewis versus Mike Tyson rumble in June 2002.
Pacquiao, 32, who has been a professional since 1995, has also fought in Thailand (twice) and Japan.
Arum has told US media outlets that Pacquiao doesn?t even have plans of hanging up his gloves and even intends to fight until 2013.
