Thursday, December 21, 2006 Pacquiao-Barrera 2 ‘in April’ By Rommel C. Manlosa Sun.Star Staff Reporter
CELEBRATED American boxing trainer Freddie Roach is almost sure of Manny Pacquiao’s next fight in the United States—an April ring date against Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera for the latter’s WBC super-featherweight belt.
Roach, who arrived in Cebu last Tuesday for a two-day vacation, talked about the future of the Philippine national treasure with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
“That is why we don’t want the case (legal battle between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank) to reach the court because it will hold Manny for at least six months to one year. In April against Barrera is the biggest money fight for him and we could not afford to gamble on that,” Roach told sportswriters after the dinner hosted by Cebuano boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Saud at the Ching’s Palace in Salinas Drive, Lahug Tuesday evening.
Salud, who is now showing signs of siding with GBP, agreed that the biggest money fight for Pacquiao is Barrera, who is also eager to avenge his 11th round knockout defeat to the Filipino ring gladiator in November 2004.
No legal claims
“De La Hoya will definitely win the lawsuit but we don’t want that to go that far. As much as possible we wanted to settle this dispute outside the courtroom, since Top Rank has no legal claims on Manny. And Shelley (Finkel) believed so. Shelly believed that Golden Boys’ offer is the best for him,” added Roach.
Aside from De La Hoya and Bob Arum, the outspoken promoter Don King is also showing a lot of interest to sign up Pacquiao into his Don King Promotions.
“Yes Don King called me up 10 days in a row and offered a lot of money,” stressed Roach.
Meanwhile, Roach believes that Pacquiao should be the world’s No.1 pound-for-pound boxer by the end of 2006.
“It’s not because Manny is my boxer but he is a total entertainer. The pay-per-view buys showed it, the gates showed it and Manny’s clout to the boxing and non boxing people is overwhelming. He should be over Floyd (Mayweather) Jr. because of what he has brought to the sports and what he has become to his people,” Roach explained.
Ring Magazine declared Mayweather as the best pound-for-pound fighter as of this week, following his two unanimous decision wins over Zab Judah in April and Calos Baldomir last November.
Boring Floyd
However, the “bible of boxing” has considered giving the “Fighter of the Year” award to the General Santos City fighter, citing Mayweather’s boring performance on the ring.
Yesterday, Roach visited the ultra modern ALA Gym in Nasipit, Talamban where he would have had the chance to meet for the first time one of the country’s most promising fighters, AJ Banal.
“Yeah I heard a lot of things about AJ Banal and I think I should meet him,” Roach said.
However, when Roach arrived at the ALA Gym yesterday, ALA boxers were already wrapping up their day’s training.
