WBA Super Featherweight Champion Edwin Valero proved once again that he belongs to the most elite of the game, stopping a couple of hours ago Mexican challenger Michael Lozada in the first round of a scheduled 12-rounder in his first titular defense at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan.
This as Ring Magazine 2006 Fighter of the Year Manny Pacquiao yesterday chided WBC champion Marco Antonio Barrera, saying that he won’t be chasing the man whom he had already manhandled in their previous outing.
Valero, who is being groomed to be the next opponent for Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao on April 28, beat Lozada with a technical knockout in the opening round for the sensational win.
Valero improved to 21-0, including 20 knockouts – with his first 18 bouts finished in the opening round. Lozada fell to 29-4-2 with 10 knockouts.
With the Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera bout now all but scrapped, Valero remains a hot front-runner to be the next opponent for Pacquiao, although his Japanese handler Akihiko Honda had revealed earlier that his ward is not yet ready for Pacquiao in 2007.
Honda cited that his ward needs two or three more bouts before possibly facing the fire-breathing Filipino, although Valero, in a separate interview with leading boxing website Boxingconfidential.com, hinted that he might be prepared for a Pacquiao battle in the latter part of 2007 or early 2008.
“I really want to fight Pacquiao before he retires,” said the humble Venezuelan in the interview.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who claims to be the Filipino fighter’s promoter, said that Valero is one of the names being floated as possible April 28 foe for Pacquiao, although Mexican Humberto Soto and IBF champion Malcolm Klassen are also being considered.
PACQUIAO SAYS HE’S NOT CHASING BARRERA
Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, taking on the sound bites of a true superstar of the game, yesterday said his aborted fight with Marco Antonio Barrera does not scare him as he is not chasing the Mexican icon even as the World Boxing Council is set to decide within this week the fate of its super-featherweight champion.
Yesterday, Pacquiao’s much-awaited rematch with Barrera was put on hold when Golden Boy Promotions chief executive officer Richard Schaefer announced that the Barrera-Juan Manuel Marquez showdown will take place on March 17 after the Filipino icon failed on its imposed deadline last Tuesday to come to terms with a Barrera rematch.
Barrera-Marquez will take place at the MGM Grand and HBO pay-per-view with televise this major event between two topnotch technicians of the game.
Marquez’s trainer Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Beristain confirmed the news, saying: “I am glad to hear that the fight will take place. Now it is time to work. No contracts have been signed or discussed, but I am a man of my word, and I had said if they fight was a possibility, I would agree to it happening.”
Pacquiao says Barrera needs him, not the other way around
“No way! Hindi ako naghahabol kay Barrera kasi tinalo ko na siya noon,” (No way! I’m not running after him because I already mauled him in the past), Pacquiao said in an interview with Mindanao scribes from his home in General Santos City.
As this developed, WBC president Jose Sulaiman also revealed that the WBC executive council will decide within this week on whether or not to strip Barrera of his title for failing to defend against mandatory challenger Pacquiao.
“That decision has not been made. That will be decided by the Executive Council and you can expect a decision by the end of this week,” said Sulaiman in an interview with leading boxing website Boxingconfidential.com, although he also said that GBP has already informed them of the Barrera-Marquez fight, and that Pacquiao’s promotional situation will be taken into account when making the decision.
Pacquiao, for his part, informed that he will not be ready to fight in March, although he will be available in April.
“Walang problema sa akin kung hindi kami maglaban ni Barrera. Kung si Barrera at Marquez ang maglalaban ay wala naman silang malalaking premyo,” (I have no problem if I don’t fight Barrera. If he and Marquez fight, they don’t get a big purse), Pacquiao added, apparently following the line of those people who continue to serve him with wrong information.
According to Pacquiao, with this latest development, he now looks forward to fighting on April 28 in Macau against a soon-to-be-announced foe.
Pacquiao is Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year
“Puede pa naman akong lumaban. May lima kaming pinipilian sa ngayon,” (I can still fight. We are choosing from five on the shortlist), said Pacquiao, who was also voted yesterday as 2006 Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine, the acknowledged Bible of Boxing.
According to Ring Magazine, since the award’s inception in 1928, only six fighters below the lightweight division—Henry Armstrong (1937), Willie Pep (’45), Carlos Zarate (’77), Salvador Sanchez (’81), Michael Carbajal (’93), Paulie Ayala (’99)—have been previously selected for the magazine’s top honor. Pacquiao is number seven.
“It’s amazing what a little guy with a big smile and an even bigger punch can accomplish,” The Ring said in its opening statement. “His modest demeanor and ever-ready smile are the perfect counterbalance to his in-the-ring ferocity. And as if that wasn’t enough, his incredible rags-to-riches story is one that resonates with the downtrodden everywhere. Pacquiao carries the hopes and dreams of his fellow Filipinos into the ring with him every time he fights, but has never allowed it to weigh him down once the bell rings,” added Ring Magazine in choosing Pacquiao.
“Masang-masaya ako sa dahil ako ang pinili nila. Nagpapasalamat ako ng marami sa lahat ng bomoto sa akin,” (I am very happy that they chose me. I am so thankful to those who voted for me) added Pacquiao, who said he will start training in February in his hometown in General Santos City.
Mansion-sleeping Koncz headed to Arum’s dig in US
Meanwhile, US-based Canadian boxing agent Michael Koncz, who has been staying at the mansion of Pacquiao since last month said that one of the probable opponents could be sensational knockout artist Venezuelan southpaw Edwin Valero.
“I know already earlier that the Pacquiao-Barrera fight will not push through. I don’t care,” bragged Konz, in an interview with General Santos mediamen.
Koncz said he plans to go home next week to the United States, after accomplishing his mission of delivering Pacquiao to Top Rank. (With Reports from Lito De Los Reyes)
