Friday, October 12, 2007 Pacquiao to stay at super featherweight
TO give WBA super featherweight champion Edwin Valero a chance to prove that that he can beat the Filipino boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao has announced that he will be staying in the division.
Pacquiao, who arrived in the country yesterday, believes that he still has some unfinished business in this division and wants to give Valero a chance to fight him.
Marco Antino Barrera earlier predicted that only the undefeated Venezuelan knockout puncher has what it takes to beat him.
“For that reason I might stay in the 130 pound division, so he (Valero) can prove he can beat me,” Pacquiao said in a report posted at ABS-CBN website.
However, Valero might not be the first option for Pacquiao right now as his promoters are now eyeing a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez, whom he fought to a draw in May 2004.
Marquez, who is scheduled to defend his WBC super featherweight title against Rocky Juarez on Nov. 3, is still demanding a bigger purse to fight Pacquiao.
The same demand happened in the botched rematch in 2005.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao denied in his column at Philboxing.com that he had hard time making the 130-lb. limit.
“There was no truth to the report that I was overweight during the weigh-in. In my first try at the scales, I was already 130 pounds,” Pacquiao wrote in Filipino.
Pacquiao received a red carpet welcome from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during his visit at the Malacañang Palace.
On Sunday, he will be in Cebu and the Cebu City government is also all geared up and ready for PacMan’s visit.
“This is our way of thanking Pacquiao for making Cebu as his training base,” said City Councilor Jack Jakosalem. (RCM)
