Wednesday, December 19, 2007 ‘So-called’ champ Manny challenged
AFTER clobbering challenger Zaid “The Exterminator” Zavaleta down to the canvass, Edwin “The Liquidator” Valero issued a challenge to Filipino Ring Idol Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao in his World Boxing Association super featherweight title match last Dec. 16 at Plaza de Toros, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Valero, the reigning WBA super featherweight champion, also called out Pacquiao earlier this year and has challenged him again.
“I want to say that everything went according to plan today, and I want a crack at the other so-called champion, Pacquiao, because I am the 130-pound champion of this division”, said Valero after his KO victory, “I am ready to fight in the US against any of the champion foes that they lay out in front of me, if they just give me the chance,” he added in a report posted in ringsidereport.com.
Valero even said Pacquiao is scared of him and that his trainer Freddie Roach even worse.
“Pacquaio is afraid. He is afraid of me, I know this,” Valero said. “When I hit Pacquiao, he will go down and he will not get up.”
“Freddie Roach is even more afraid of me than Manny is,” the WBA super featherweight champion added. “Freddie Roach is super afraid of me!” said Valero in a report posted at boxingconfidential.com
Valero has an outstanding career record of 23 wins and no loss and has won all of his fights via knockouts is banned to fight in the United States after failing a medical checkup in New York. His MRI showed a black spot in his brain. But he is planning to have himself reevaluated so he can fight in the US.
Meanwhile, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum wants Manny to focus on his fight with World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and help in the promotion of their rematch in the US.
Arum and Roach both went to Pacman’s birthday bash last Dec. 17 in Gen. Santos City. The boxing icon turned 29.
“One of the reasons I came is to sit down with Manny and have a heart-to-heart talk” said Arum in another interview with BusinessMirror
“Because from the standpoint of the promotion what’s happening is we do very well with his fights. But we are in the same general area which is good, you make money, but it’s not growing like it should”.
Arum said “What am I going to do? I can’t go on television and continuously talk about him. People don’t want to hear that. They want to hear him,” added Arum. “We can get him to programs where he can sing, where he can play music. Where he can show himself as a personality like he’s known here in the Philippines.” (EKA)
