MANILA, Philippines – Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao was inducted as ?the new? president of Rotary Club Manila 101 District 3810 the other night at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.
?Kinakabahan ako (I?m nervous),? said the 33-year-old Sarangani congressman after taking his oath before Vice President Jejomar Binay and hundreds of Rotarians.
The crowd applauded after Pacquiao, in his elegant tuxedo, formally replaced Liza Elorde, wife of Filipino boxing promoter Johnny Elorde, as the club president.
Laughter filled the air when Binay, a leading candidate for the 2016 presidential elections, admitted that Pacquiao had beaten him to the draw.
?Presidente ka na, ako vice president pa din (You?re now a president, and I?m still the vice president),? said Binay.
The night?s emcee erroneously introduced Binay as ?the honorable mayor? but the former mayor of Makati City didn?t seem to mind.
Later on, Binay was also hailed as ?the next president of the Philippines.?
?It?s like music to my ears,? said Binay, drawing another round of applause.
Later on, in one dark corner of the packed ballroom, Pacquiao spoke to scribes about his next fight. He said everything remains in the air.
?Wala pa. Wala pa (Nothing yet),? he said.
He wasn?t just talking about his next opponent, but also regarding the date for his next fight. He was asked if it would be on Nov. 10, and he answered, ?Wala pa.?
Pacquiao said he?s unaware that his chief promoter, Bob Arum, is coming over on the first week of August to try and seal the deal regarding his next fight.
?Hindi ko alam (I don?t know). Wala pa talaga (Really nothing yet),? said Pacquiao.
Pacquiao can choose between a rematch with Timothy Bradley or a fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. All he needs to do is push the button and either fight is on.
Arum has penciled Nov. 10 for Pacquiao?s return to the ring. It?s been more than a month since Pacquiao took a very controversial loss to Bradley at the MGM Grand.
Arum told The Examiner he needs to know by Aug. 10 who Pacquiao?s wants to fight next ?so we can make the proper arrangements.?
But it?s not just Bradley or Marquez or even Miguel Cotto who?s in Pacquiao?s mind, but Floyd Mayweather Jr., still the biggest challenge out there for him.
Two weeks after the Bradley fight, Pacquiao sat down with Arum over dinner in Los Angeles, and said he wants Mayweather next.
?Manny wants Mayweather. Obviously, the fight he wants is Mayweather. That?s the guy he wants to fight,? Arum said after the meeting.
But the Mayweather fight is not the easiest to make even if both fighters could make at least $50 each.
Mayweather is in jail until next month for the domestic violence case of 2010, and it?s not advisable for him to do a big fight as Pacquiao in November.
There?s also a big problem with the purse sharing because Mayweather wants more, a bigger piece of the pie, and Pacquiao wouldn?t settle for less.
?He will laugh at my back if I accept his offer,? said Pacquiao of Mayweather?s offer ? a guaranteed purse of $40 million but not a single penny from the pay-per-view sales for the Filipino.
Veteran sportscaster Ronnie Nathanielzs also spoke to Pacquiao during Tuesday night?s black-tie affair, and got the impression that Pacquiao really wants Mayweather next.
Nathanielzs wouldn?t name his source but said he was told that people are now, again, working on the superfight between Pacquiao and Mayweather.
Pacquiao also hinted that if it?s Mayweather, he?s willing to wait past November.
Everything is up in the air.
