MACAU ? Freddie Roach wants what Manny Pacquiao wants ? a fifth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in September.
?Manny wants a rematch more than anything else,? Roach told Filipino scribes at The Venetian Macao on a cold and damp Wednesday afternoon here.
?That?s the fight I want. It?s still the biggest fight out there,? he added.
And if Roach could have his way, he?d have the fight staged in Mexico City, where fight fans partied for a week after Marquez knocked Pacquiao out last December in Las Vegas.
?I want the last fight in Mexico. That?s my dream,? said Roach.
Pacquiao is very busy with the coming elections back home, and said his mind is not into boxing right now. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Bob Arum hopped in from one table to the discussion. He said it?s just impossible to get things done right now when Pacquiao is so busy with the elections back home.
?The problem is that until the freaking elections are done you cannot get his attention,? said Arum.
The legendary promoter said chances of Pacquiao?s next fight being held in the United States are ?very slim? because of the skyrocketing tax rates.
From 31 percent, taxes for big time fights have gone up to 39.6 percent. If Pacquiao fights anywhere outside the US, he won?t have to pay as much.
Roach said it?s almost unbelievable how high the taxes are, saying that last year alone he paid $900,000 in taxes.
While Arum didn?t say he doesn?t like Mexico, he sounded like he was pitching for either Macau or Singapore as venue of Pacquiao?s next fight.
Arum and Roach are here for Saturday?s ?Fists of Gold? card featuring Chinese two-time Olympic champion Zou Shiming against Eleazar Valenzuela and Brian Viloria against Juan Francisco Estrada.
?The response here is tremendous,? said Arum, who must have fallen in love with Macau the first time he came here in 2008 for a goodwill match of the then Olympic-bound US basketball team.
?It?s absolutely first class here,? said the ageless promoter, who just can?t believe his eyes every time he looks around this vast casino hotel and resort rolled into one.
Arum said tickets to Saturday?s fight, which also features Filipinos Dave and Dodie Boy Pe?alosa Jr. and Millan Melido, are almost gone.
?All the expensive seats have been sold or around 70 percent of the 15,000 seats. I?m confident it will be sold out,? he said.
The Venetian Macao is the largest casino in the world, its gaming area alone covering almost five hectares of 800 gaming tables and 3,400 slot machines.
Roach said last Easter, each gaming table was surrounded by bettors four-deep.
?Macau can be the next boxing capital of the world. It?s Vegas on steroids,? said Arum.
Looking around the casino, it?s hard to disagree.
