Source: By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)
Those being mentioned as a potential opponent for the Filipino pound-for-pound champion when he returns to action in November are Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero, disgraced champion Antonio Margarito and old-time Pacquiao rival Juan Manuel Marquez.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he wants the undefeated Valero who has a strong penchant for knockouts. He has knocked out all his 27 opponents, his first 18 fights ending right in the first round. The 28-year-old wrecking ball had said time and again he wants to lay his hands on the Filipino icon.
Roach said he’d like that to happen.
“I’ve been watching him a little bit. I know he’s a big puncher. He’s a southpaw and does pose some difficulties. He’s better than just a guy who could punch but I think that’s the best marketable fight out there for us,” Roach told boxingscene.com.
“Valero is licensed in Texas. If we do the fight there we could sell out the whole place. You don’t have to close half of it down,” said Roach, referring to the massive Cowboys Stadium where close to 51,000 fans came to watch Pacquiao last week in his lopsided 12-round clash with Joshua Clottey.
The stadium, built by Texas tycoon Jerry Jones for $1.2 billion, can house 108,000 fans, but for the Pacquiao fight, actually the first boxing match ever held at the venue, the uppermost section was curtained off. Roach thinks that a Pacquiao-Valero can fill the entire place.
Valero is licensed to fight in Texas but nowhere else in the United States after he failed a medical in New York years ago due to a skull injury he suffered during a motorcycle accident. He has plied his trade in Japan, Panama, Venezuela and Mexico over the last couple of years and would fight Pacquiao on the moon.
Arum, however, wants Margarito next, because Valero is a “nobody” in the US.
“Freddie is the greatest trainer in the world, but he needs to leave this up to the promoters. Valero might be the best but frankly he’s an inside story in boxing. The public at large don’t know who the hell he is,” Arum told boxingscene.com, after reports came out that Pacquiao is being lined up for a November fight.
“That (Valero’s status) can change, and that’s my job as Valero’s promoter, to change that, but I don’t think I can accomplish that job that quickly. We’re all on the same team but I’m not a miracle worker. We need someone the country is familiar with and Margarito (also under Top Rank) is someone they are certainly familiar with,” said Arum.
Margarito was suspensded after he was found using illegal wraps in his fight with Shane Mosley in January last year. He was supposed to fight in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Clottey but, with no license to box, ended up with a date in May. Then after another fight sometime in July, Arum think’s he’d be ready for Pacquiao in November.
Mayweather, the self-proclaimed pound-for-pound king, will face Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas. A victory by Mosley will further keep a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight from happening because of a rematch clause in their fight contract.
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