Manny Pacquiao?s handlers have decided to go after former world super bantamweight champion and Ring Magazine ?Fighter of the Year? Paulie Ayala before taking on World Boxing Association/International Boxing Federation featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao?s business manager Rod Nazario, who is recuperating from an operation to remove a stone in his kidney told Manila Standard yesterday that he had received a call from promoter Murad Muhammad informing him that he was trying to arrange a fight against Ayala sometime in May or June.
This followed their decision to relinquish the IBF junior featherweight title and not make a purse bid for a mandatory defense against Jose Luis Valbuena.
Nazario said Murad was trying hard to contact Top Rank president Bob Arum who is incommunicado following an FBI raid on his headquarters while he was on vacation but was so far unsuccessful. Arum handles both Ayala and Marquez.
