WHENEVER Manny Pacquiao fights, it?s a major event. His next date, November 23 takes him to the Far East, Macao in China, Manny?s first fight outside of the US since 2006.
His opponent will be Brandon Rios, who like Pacquiao, is coming off a loss, in Brandon?s case a points defeat to Mike Alvarado in their rematch. Why then is it Rios who essentially gets rewarded with the big one, while Alvarado goes into what will no doubt be a war with Ruslan Provodnikov on October 19.
Top Rank?s Bob Arum explained, ?Alvarado had a bad hand, he had tendon problems and he claimed that he hurt it in the Rios fight and I talked to the surgeon with Alvarado?s permission. The surgeon said it was a pre-existing problem that got aggravated and it was a complex surgery so I wasn?t sure at that time because Alvarado being Alvarado he wasn?t doing the rehabilitation work on the hand that the doctor wanted him to do and I didn?t want to take a chance, with the first big fight in Macao that we would do that fight and Alvarado wouldn?t be ready. So we went for Rios and that was a wake up call for Alvarado and he never missed a rehab appointment again but I didn?t know that at the time.?
Arum is a staunch defender of Freddie Roach as Pacquiao?s trainer: ?I don?t know why they would criticize Freddie. Freddie is a perfect trainer for me?. Roach is receiving plaudits now for his work with a seemingly revitalised Miguel Cotto. Arum has been concerned by Pacquiao?s political ambitions diverting the star. ?I think they helped the marketability but they?re so time consuming and he?s really serious about it that it takes away from the effort that he could promoting his boxing career,? he said.
