Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday urged Bacole?os to rally behind the city’s adopted son, Manny Pacquiao, when he fights against Mexico’s Oscar Larios on July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Leonardia said he has directed his executive assistants to arrange for the public viewing of the fight in five venues: The City Hall grounds, BAYS Center, Central Market, Burgos Market and Libertad Market, a City Hall press release said.
At Pacquiao’s request, Leonardia said he has agreed to be part of Pacquiao’s entourage and will be at ringside during the fight to signify the support of Bacole?os.
He also said the City Government has arranged with Skycable for the live coverage through Pay-Per-View on Sunday from 9 a.m. at the City Hall Grounds. The rest of the venues will have television sets tuned in to ABS-CBN. This is the second time that the Bacolod City Government has given the people of Bacolod a chance to watch Pacquiao’s fight live. Last January, the City Hall also sponsored a Pay-Per-View showing of the rematch in Las Vegas between Pacquiao and Morales at the City Hall Grounds and in the three major markets of Bacolod.
Pacquiao is the reigning WBC Super Featherweight Champion of the World and was also former Super Bantamweight Champion in 2001-2004, while Larios was the 2002 WBC Super Bantamweight Champion. Larios lost via TKO against boxer Israel Vasquez in December last year. This fight is also crucial to Pacquiao as a preparation for his third match fight with Eric Morales later this year. *
