AUSSIE SAYS PACQUIAO WIN BRINGS HIM BACK!
Brisbane, Australia-Former IBF super featherweight titleholder, Robbie Peden, is so determined to get back into the mix after his lackluster effort in losing to Marco Antonio Barrera, that he’ll travel to the Philippines in order to face Bobby Pacquiao, the brother of “pound for pound” king Manny Pacquiao In an exclusive interview with “The Pinoy,” Peden stated, “I’ve heard news about Pacquiao being my next opponent for the past couple of days, I want that fight bad.”
PEDEN HOPES PACQUIAO DOESN’T BACK OUT
Inactive for 11 months now, Peden was set to fight undefeated Alex Arthur, but Arthur pulled out. Arthur was just one of many names Peden claims backed out of fighting him. He explained, “Yodsanan Nathachai (WBA #3) was set, but he pulled out. Arthur was next but he dropped out the same. I tried to get a fight with Joan Guzman, but he’ll fight Jorge Barrios instead. (Nedal) Skinny Hussien also wanted no part of me.” Peden hopes that Bobby Pacquiao, fresh off an impressive June knockout of Kevin Kelley, will hold true to his intentions. “I won’t be holding my breath for this fight, knowing what’s happened my opponents so far,” Peden commented.
PACQUIAO & ROBBIE BOTH EYE NEW IBF CHAMP
With Gary St. Clair now the new IBF super featherweight champion, the #1 contender’s slot is vacant. Should Peden, ranked sixth, fight Pacquiao, ranked fifth, the winner would be in a position to fight St. Clair. Bobby Pacquiao has had a great run since hooking up with Freddie Roach and a title shot would really make him a Cinderella Man. No one would have thought that Pacquiao would be close to a title shot three years ago. For Peden, it’s an opportunity to redeem himself from a disappointing loss in the biggest fight of his career. “I had a lot of family issues that I had to deal with prior to the fight. People who know how I fight know that it wasn’t me that night. But Barrera beat me fair and square, I’ve accepted that.”
TWO “B” GUYS FIGHTING TO GET ON “A” LIST
A potential Peden-Pacquiao match-up has all the makings of an exciting and dramatic fight that all boxing fans should enjoy. It’s been a long hard journey for Pacquiao, 27-11-3 (12 KOs), in his rise from journeyman to contender. For Peden, 24-3 (14 KOs), he needs to remove the stench that’s been following him around since the Barrera fight. One thing is sure here, both fighters have a lot to prove.
