MANNY Pacquiao will be lending his star power to the Dubai boxing card on April 9 when some of the Philippines’ best will be competing.
The event is a joint venture between Cebu-based promotional outfit ALA Promotions and the Dubai-based KO Promotions.
Pacquiao, who recently won his first 147-lb.-title defense over Joshua Clottey, will be there to watch his brother Bobby, who is included in the card.
“Manny will be here during the fight. He will be here for two days and is the special guest for the event,” Zack Taumafai, the owner of KO Promotions, said in report posted at the Maktoob website.
The Filipino contingent will be headed by former world title-contender Rey Bautista, the highly-rated and undefeated ALA star Milan Melindo.
The 23-year-old Bautista, who is off an impressive win over Maragin Marbun in his return last year after being sidelined for a wrist injury, is taking on Thai Saichon Sotornpitak in a 10-round round bout in the featherweight category. It will be the main event of the top-billed boxing event at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.
“Boom-Boom’s wrist is OK so far. He has no complaints of pain. Hopefully nothing will happen,” ALA promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.
Bautista is 27-2 with 20 KOs while the 27-year-old Sotornpitak is 10-1 with 5 KOs.
This fight will be an acid test for Bautista. A remarkable victory could give him a chance to avenge his loss to Mexican Heriberto Ruiz in a rematch.
Melindo, 20, is scheduled to defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Intercontinental flyweight title against Columbian prospect Devis Perez.
Melindo is unbeaten with 20 wins and five KOs while Perez, 24, is 12-1-2 with six KOs.
Melindo won the WBC Youth Intercontinental title after beating slick American boxer Anthony Villareal in January.
On the other hand, Bobby’s opponent is not yet known as of now.
Also slated in the undercard are young Filipino prospects Jason Pagara (21-1, 10 KOs) and Larry Canillas (9-1, 8 KOs), who are up against Africans John Gichayu (13-5-1, 6 KOs) and Fred Sayuni (6-3-4, 3 KOs) respectively.